The Turkish coast guard says it has rescued 81 migrants who had tried to reach Greece via the Aegean Sea in rubber dinghies. They accused Greek officials of pushing the migrants back into Turkish waters illegally.
Searches continue, but the Greek coast guard said that hope was running out for dozens of migrants reported missing, after the overcrowded sailing boat they were traveling on capsized and sank in the Aegean sea.
Turkish media reports say that over 100 migrants have been intercepted by the Turkish coast guard on the Aegean coast off the western province of Izmir. Meanwhile, seven others were reportedly rescued at sea.
Turkish officials say they have rescued another 67 migrants in Aegean waters. The migrants were pushed back by Greek forces patrolling the waters, Turkish authorities claim. Greece denies being involved in pushbacks.
The Turkish coast guard has said it recovered a total of six migrant bodies in the Aegean Sea. Rescue operations are ongoing for one missing person off the coast of Izmir.
Five children and a woman have reportedly drowned in the Aegean Sea, while five people remain missing. Turkish authorities have accused Greek officials of pushing the migrants back towards Turkey.
Turkey’s defense ministry announced on Sunday it had filmed footage of Greek pushbacks. The news was reported by the Turkish Anadolu Agency.
The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) accused the Greek government of ignoring the needs of dozens of asylum seekers, who are stranded on the country's border with Turkey. This comes days after a woman was found shot dead in the same region, and a migrant boat is reported to be drifting off the island of Samos.
The Turkish coast guard on Tuesday stopped 168 people aboard a fishing boat in the Aegean Sea that authorities said was headed for Italy. In March alone, Turkish authorities stopped 17,587 irregular migrants in the country who were trying to make it to Europe.
The Turkish coast guard says that it has rescued about 120 migrants in several operations in the Aegean Sea. At least four boats were pushed back into Turkey's waters by Greece, the reports claim.
Greece authorities have accused Turkey's coast guard of trying to push into Greek waters a boat with migrants. Athens has called on the EU to put pressure on Ankara to meet its international obligations.
Greece has once again blamed Turkey for "violating its obligations" after rescuing 10 migrants from a capsized vessel in the Aegean Sea on Friday that - says Greek Migration Minister - "was allowed to depart from Turkish territorial waters."