Turkish authorities rescue 64 illegal migrants on Aegean coasts

The Turkish coast guard teams have rescued a total of 64 illegal migrants in two separate operations off Aydın and Çanakkale.

After illegal migrants on a rubber boat requested help from the Turkish authorities as it started to drift due an engine failure, the teams carried out a successful operation, rescuing 25 illegal migrants.

The migrants were reported to be in good health and were transferred to a deportation center, the authorities informed.

In another operation off the Aegean province of Çanakkale, upon the notification of an inflatable boat carrying a group of migrants pushed back by Greek authorities to Turkish waters, the teams rescued 39 migrants and brought them safely to the shore.

Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants seeking to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Türkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back irregular migrants, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.