Turkish coast guard rescues 30 asylum seekers in Aegean

IZMIR, Turkey

Turkish Coast Guard teams rescued at least 30 asylum seekers Thursday from two boats in the Aegean Sea.

Congolese, Syrian, Bangladeshi, Palestinian and Lebanese nationals were on the stranded boats.

Turkey has been one of the main routes for asylum seekers wanting to reach Europe, especially since Syria’s civil war started in 2011.

Turkey hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees -- more than any other country in the world.