Turkey rescues over 90 asylum seekers pushed back by Greece

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey rescued a total of 92 asylum seekers who were illegally pushed back by Greece into Turkish waters, the Turkish Coast Guard Command said Thursday.

Coast guard teams rescued the asylum seekers in rubber boats at three locations off the coast of Dikili and Cesme districts in Izmir province, it said.

All of the asylum seekers were transferred to provincial migration offices.

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.

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 other country in the world, and is taking new security measures on its borders to humanely prevent a fresh influx of migrants.