The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 138 irregular migrants on Wednesday after Greek authorities illegally pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters.
The Turkish Coast Guard Command said in a statement posted on its website that it rescued 64 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea after their boats were pushed back by Greek authorities in the jurisdictions of Seferihisar and Menderes districts, and safely shifted them to the coast city of Izmir.
Earlier on Tuesday, in the early hours, 39 irregular migrants who had been illegally pushed back by Greece were rescued by coastal guards in the Aegean Sea province of Aydin, the statement said.
In another Aegean Sea city of Mugla, 35 irregular migrants were rescued.
A total of 138 migrants were taken to provincial migration authorities for regular procedures.
Turkey and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice of pushing back irregular migrants, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.