Turkey rescues 125 asylum seekers in Aegean

IZMIR, Turkey

Turkey rescued 125 asylum seekers who were pushed back by the Greek Coast Guard into Turkish territorial waters in the Aegean Sea, security sources said Monday.

Some 44 asylum seekers were rescued from a dinghy off the coast of Aslan Burnu district in Izmir province, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The security sources also said 81 asylum seekers were rescued Sunday from a dinghy off the coast of Aslan Burnu.

They were brought to the shore on a coast guard vessel before being transferred to the provincial migration office.

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

Earlier this year, Turkey opened its gates to irregular migrants seeking to cross to Europe, accusing the European Union of failing to keep its promises under a 2016 migrant deal.

Turkey has 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 Burak Dag