Turkey Rescues 113 Asylum Seekers In Aegean Sea

Turkey rescued 113 asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea who were illegally pushed back by the Greek Coast Guard into Turkish territorial waters, the Turkish Coast Guard Command said on Monday.

A coast guard team was dispatched off Seferihisar in the Izmir province after learning that 59 asylum seekers were stranded on two life-boats.

The asylum seekers, including women and children, were taken to shore and later to the provincial migration office.

Separately, coast guards off the coast of Ayvacik district in the northwestern Canakkale province rescued 54 asylum seekers pushed back by the Greek Coast Guard into Turkish territorial waters.

The asylum seekers wanted to reach the Greek island of Lesbos. They were later transferred to a local repatriation center.

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.

Turkey and human rights groups have 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 Seda Sevencan in Istanbul. -