92 irregular migrants rescued off Turkey's Aegean coast
Turkish Coast Guard units rescued the migrants pushed back by Greek authorities in Turkey's territorial waters.
Turkish Coast Guard Command said on its website that coast guard teams rescued at least 92 asylum seekers from rubber boats off the coast of Dikili and Çeşme districts in western Izmir province.
According to the statement, the boats carrying irregular migrants were pushed back to Turkish territorial waters by Greek Coast Guard forces.
Historically, Turkey has been a country of origin, transit, and destination for migrants and was a crossroads between Europe and Asia.
Recent regional events have contributed to Turkey increasingly becoming a major destination and transit country for those fleeing conflict, poverty, and disasters.
Turkey hosts one of the largest migrant and refugee populations in the world.
According to the official reports, 113,865 irregular migrants held across the country in 2020. (ILKHA)