Turkish authorities have claimed to have rescued more than 200 migrants in Aegean waters and have again accused Greece of acting at the border to push these boats into its territory.
The Turkish Coast Guard has detailed that 50 people were rescued aboard a boat off the coast of the town of Cesme, in the province of Izmir, as reported by the Turkish state news agency, Anatolia.
It has also detailed that another 64 migrants have been rescued in several inflatable boats off the towns of Dikili and Urla, in the same province, while 59 others were rescued off the coast of the province of Aydin.
On the other hand, the Turkish Coast Guard rescued thirteen people off the coast of Ayvacik, in Canakkale, and 18 others off Datca, in Mugla. All of them have been transferred to the mainland and handed over to the competent authorities for further processing.
Turkey has taken a hard line against Greece in recent years and accuses Athens of illegally expelling vessels arriving from Turkish shores from its waters. Tension has risen over the past few months in the eastern Mediterranean area as Greece and Turkey embark on a maritime dispute over hydrocarbon exploration in the area. The two countries are also at loggerheads over Cyprus.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
