AYDIN, Turkey
The Turkish Coast Guard has intercepted 91 Syrian refugees trying to cross the Aegean Sea from western Turkey to Greece.
Sources from the Coast Guard told Anadolu Agency that the 91 people, including nine children and 13 women, were travelling in two boats near the Didim district of Aydin province when they were discovered on Wednesday.
The refugees were later handed over to security forces.
Amnesty International claimed in a report published this month that a total of 123 people had drowned in illegal sea crossings between Turkey and Greece since January 2014.
The route has become one of the most important migration paths for those coming from North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia trying to reach the European Union.