The Coast Guard received information about a group of irregular migrants stranded in life rafts near the Izmir coast. The team swiftly dispatched boats to the area and managed to bring ashore the 22 migrants, who were all Syrian nationals.

The migrants told the Coast Guard that they had been pushed back into Turkish waters by Greek forces after their boat was intercepted. They said they had been trying to reach Europe in search of a better life.

The rescued migrants were taken to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for further processing.

In separate incidents along the coasts of Izmir, Aydın, and Muğla, authorities apprehended 72 irregular migrants along with a suspected migrant smuggler.

The migrants, who were all from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, were detained after they were found in boats and vehicles that were being used to smuggle them into Turkey.

The suspected migrant smuggler was also detained and is being investigated by the authorities.

The Turkish Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies are working to prevent irregular migration and to protect the lives of those who are trying to cross the Aegean Sea. (ILKHA)