UPDATE - Turkey rescues 147 more asylum seekers pushed back by Greece

UPDATES NUMBER OF ASYLUM SEEKERS HELD; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; ADDS DETAILS

By Anadolu Agency Staff

BALIKESIR/MUGLA/CANAKKALE/AYDIN, Turkey (AA) - Turkish security forces rescued at least 147 asylum seekers on Tuesday who were pushed back into Turkey’s territorial waters by Greek forces.

Eight asylum seekers were rescued by Turkish coast guards after Greek authorities pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters.

The incident occurred off the coast of Ayvalik district in Balikesir province in western Turkey, and the asylum seekers were in a fiber boat, according to a statement by the Coast Guard Command.

They were taken to the command office on the island of Cunda before being referred to a provincial migration office.

Separately, asylum seekers who were pushed back to Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities and 24 others who made a call for help on a rubber boat, were rescued by Coast Guard teams near Marmaris in southwestern Mugla province.

They were transferred to the provincial migration office.

Seventy-one more migrants, pushed back by Greek forces were taken ashore off the town of Bodrum.

Coast guard teams rescued the asylum seekers traveling on four rubber boats and transferred them to the migration office.

In Ayvacik in northwestern Canakkale province, 14 asylum seekers were rescued by Coast Guard teams.

The migrants traveling on a rubber boat claimed to have been pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities.

They were taken to the local repatriation center after completing routine procedures.

Another group pushed back into Turkey’s territorial waters was rescued by the Coast Guard off Kusadasi in Aydin province

That came after a tip as to asylum seekers stranded at sea while traveling on a rubber boat.

As many as 20 migrants were transferred to the provincial migration office.

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.

*Writing by Rabia Iclal Turan and Dilan Pamuk