Turkish coast guard rescues 16 irregular migrants pushed back by Greek authorities

The migrants were brought ashore and referred to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

In one incident, the Coast Guard rescued 10 irregular migrants who were pushed back into Turkish waters off the coast of Datca district in Mugla.

In another incident, the Coast Guard rescued six irregular migrants who were pushed back off the coast of Izmir. In the remaining two incidents, the Coast Guard rescued one irregular migrant each off the coasts of Datca and Izmir.

The Coast Guard also apprehended 77 irregular migrants off the coasts of Izmir and Mugla. The migrants were brought ashore and referred to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

The Turkish Coast Guard has been actively patrolling the Aegean Sea in recent months in response to the increasing number of irregular migrants trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. The Coast Guard has rescued thousands of irregular migrants and apprehended thousands more.

The Turkish government has repeatedly condemned Greece's practice of pushing back irregular migrants into Turkish waters. The government says that this practice is illegal and that it puts the lives of the migrants at risk. (ILKHA)