Turkey rescues 37 asylum seekers pushed back by Greece

By Ali Balli

MUGLA, Turkey (AA) – Turkey on Thursday rescued 37 asylum seekers who were illegally pushed back by Greece to Turkish waters in the Aegean Sea.

The asylum seekers, who were in a rubber boat and two life rafts, were brought ashore near the Bodrum district of the Aegean Mugla province, said security sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

All of them were later taken to the provincial migration office.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming 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 humanely prevent a fresh influx of migrants.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara.