Turkey rescues 313 irregular migrants pushed back by Greece

By Gokhan Duzyol, Halil Sahin

IZMIR, MUGLA, Turkey (AA) - The Turkish Coast Guard Command said it rescued as many as 313 asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea on Monday after they were pushed back by Greek authorities.

The naval force rescued 213 asylum seekers near Aydin, as well as Dikili, Foca, Menderes, Cesme, Urla, and Seferihisar districts in Izmir.

Separately, a coast guard team in the seaside town of Marmaris, Mugla in southwestern Turkey, rescued at least 75 asylum seekers from a rubber boat.

Meanwhile, a team was dispatched off Bodrum district in Mugla province after learning that 25 asylum seekers were stranded on a lifeboat.

Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

It already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any country in the world, and is taking new security measures on its borders to prevent a fresh influx of migrants.