Turkey rescued 38 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea after Greek authorities pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters, the Turkish Coast Guard said Tuesday.
Coast guard units rescued the irregular migrants on Monday from three life rafts off the coast of Ayvalik in Balikesir province, it said in a statement.
Turkey and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.