Turkey rescues 43 asylum seekers in Aegean Sea

By Mirac Kaya and Burak Akay

BALIKESIR / CANAKKALE, Turkey (AA) - Turkey rescued at least 43 asylum seekers who were stranded while trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos in the north of the Aegean Sea on Tuesday.

Coast guards in Turkey’s northwestern Balikesir province dispatched teams to rescue asylum seekers on Pinar Island where land transportation was not possible. The teams rescued 36 people and brought them to the Coast Guard Command Center on Cunda Island.

Meanwhile, in northwestern Canakkale province, coast guards rescued seven asylum seekers who were pushed back by the Greek Coast Guard into Turkish territorial waters.

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.

Turkey and human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.