AYDIN / IZMIR / KIRKLARELI, Turkey

Turkey on Tuesday rescued some 256 asylum seekers who were illegally pushed back to Turkish waters by Greece.

Of the asylum seekers, the Turkish Coast Guard rescued 99 off the coast of Kusadasi in the western Aydin province, plus 157 others off the coast of the Aegean province of Izmir.

Turkey and human rights groups have denounced Greece’s practice of pushbacks, saying that in addition to violating international law, the pushbacks endanger innocent asylum seekers, including women and young children.

In a separate development, Turkish security forces held 32 irregular migrants in the northwestern province of Kirklareli.

Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want 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.