Türkİye

Turkish Coast Guard rescues 33 asylum seekers

Asylum seekers on board rubber boat were stranded on Gunes Island when they were trying to cross to Greece

Mirac Kaya  | 03.03.2021 - Update : 03.03.2021
Turkish Coast Guard rescues 33 asylum seekers

BALIKESIR, Turkey

The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 33 asylum seekers stranded on an island in the Aegean Sea, a security source said on Wednesday.

The asylum seekers were trying to cross to Greece by a rubber boat but got stranded on the Gunes Island located off the coast of Ayvalik district in Turkey’s northwestern Balikesir province.

They were rescued and transferred to a local coast guard command, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

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


​​​​​​​*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin


Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.