ANKARA

Turkey rescued 70 asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea after they were illegally pushed back by Greek authorities into Turkish territorial waters, according to the Turkish Coast Guard Command.

The migrants were rescued in four separate operations on Friday in western Aydin province off the coast of Didim, it said in a written statement.

Rescue teams dispatched aid to a group traveling in a rubber boat after it requested help because the engine failed with 30 people onboard.

All migrants were handed to local migration offices for deportation procedures.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Turkey, which already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any country in the world, is taking new security measures on its borders to prevent a fresh influx of migrants.