The Turkish Coast Guard has rescued 52 irregular migrants near the country's Western coast after they were illegally pushed back by Greek forces.
A boat was dispatched off the coast of Kusadasi, in Türkiye's Aydin province, on Monday after authorities received information about a group of irregular migrants on a rubber boat.
The team rescued 40 irregular migrants who had been pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek elements, according to a statement from the Turkish Coast Guard Command.
Following due procedures, the irregular migrants were sent to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.
In another operation on the same day, a group of 12 irregular migrants on a rubber boat off the coast of the Cesme district of Izmir province were rescued by the Coast Guard.
Türkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of regularly pushing back irregular migrants, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
Source: TRTworld.com