Turkish Coast Guard boats were deployed to the region after receiving information that there was a group of irregular migrants in life rafts off the coast of Aydın and Muğla. The boats found 54 irregular migrants who had been pushed into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces. The migrants were brought ashore and taken to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for processing.
In a separate operation, Coast Guard boats apprehended 136 irregular migrants and a suspected migrant smuggler off the coast of Izmir and Muğla. The migrants were also taken to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for processing.
The Turkish Coast Guard has been actively patrolling the Aegean Sea in recent months in an effort to prevent irregular migration. The Turkish government has said that it will not tolerate any illegal attempts to enter the country.
The Greek government has denied allegations that it has been pushing back irregular migrants into Turkish territorial waters. However, there have been numerous reports of Greek authorities pushing back migrants, often in dangerous conditions.
The issue of irregular migration has been a source of tension between Türkiye and Greece for many years. The two countries have accused each other of not doing enough to prevent irregular migration. (ILKHA)