A total of 150 irregular migrants have been illegally pushed back by Greek forces, and three others were found dead, according to official statements by the Turkish Coast Guard on Monday.
Acting on a tip that a group of asylum seekers landed on Karaada, an island off the coast of Izmir's Cesme district, the Coast Guard Command quickly went to the area and rescued eight irregular migrants while the body of one washed up on shore, said a coast guard statement.
Two missing irregular migrants were also found dead in the sea after a search and rescue operation by Turkish teams.
The irregular migrants told Turkish Coast Guard teams that 11 migrants who were handcuffed and had no lifejackets were thrown into the sea by Greek forces after they crossed to the Greek island of Sakiz (Chios).
Turkish Coast Guard units also rescued 136 more irregular migrants off the coasts of Karaburun, Dikili, and Cesme in Izmir, they said in a separate statement.
Five life rafts carrying irregular migrants were illegally pushed back into Türkiye’s territorial waters by Greek authorities, said the statement.
Meanwhile, a total of 38 irregular migrants off the coast of Izmir's Dikili district were held in a boat before crossing to Greece, it added.
All the migrants were referred to provincial migration offices for processing.
In Bodrum in southwestern Mugla province, Turkish Coast Guard units rescued three irregular migrants who were reportedly pushed back by Greece.
The migrants, who said they were beaten by Greek forces, were taken to nearby hospitals.
Türkiye has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Türkiye and human 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.
