The Turkish coast guard on Wednesday rescued 110 asylum seekers stranded in the Aegean Sea, the Anadolu news agency reported, citing security sources
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2020) The Turkish coast guard on Wednesday rescued 110 asylum seekers stranded in the Aegean Sea, the Anadolu news agency reported, citing security sources.
According to the news agency, the Greek coast guard officers pushed 36 irregular migrants back into Turkey's territorial waters, and they were rescued off the coast of the Dikili town in the Izmir province.
Separately, the Turkish coast guard rescued 43 asylum seekers near the northwestern Balikesir province and 31 more people en route to Greece's Lesbos island off the coast of the Ayvacik town in the Canakkale province.
Turkey is often used by refugees, migrants and asylum seekers as a route to enter Europe, especially since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011. According to the UN refugee agency, Turkey hosts approximately four million refugees more than any other country.
Ankara often claims that Athens deliberately abandons asylum seekers and sends them back into Turkish waters, while Greece accuses Turkey of intentionally pushing migrants to the European Union for political reasons.
