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

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