Türkiye rescues 14 irregular migrants pushed back by Greece

By Burak Akay

CANAKKALE, Türkiye (AA) - The Turkish Coast Guard on Sunday rescued 14 irregular migrants in the North Aegean Sea who were illegally pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities.

Coast Guard Northern Aegean Group Command teams determined that there were irregular migrants in a life raft off Ayvacik, Canakkale.

The coast guard also reported that the migrants were from Yemen, Sudan, and Eritrea.

After the necessary procedures, the migrants who were brought ashore were transferred to the Ayvacik Immigration Office.

In a separate incident, 41 irregular migrants were caught in the cargo box of a pickup truck in Mugla, Aegean Türkiye.

Authorities have detained and arrested two individuals suspected of engaging in migrant smuggling.

Türkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back irregular migrants, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.

Hundreds of migrants are feared dead from a migrant boat sinking last week off southwestern Greece. Some accounts suggest the accident might have happened when a Greek vessel tried to tow the overcrowded migrant boat into Italian waters.

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

*Writing by Necva Tastan in Istanbul