ANKARA 

Turkish coast guards saved the lives of irregular migrants who were illegally pushed back to Türkiye by Greek coast guards in the Aegean Sea, the country's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"On August 9, 2022, a Turkish Navy UAV detected irregular migrants being transferred to an inflatable boat and pushed back towards Turkish territorial waters by the Greek Coast Guard in the east of the island of Sisam (Samos) in the Aegean Sea. The situation was immediately reported to the Turkish Coast Guard which rescued the irregular migrants," the Turkish Defense Ministry stated on Twitter.

The Turkish Coast Guard said in a statement on Tuesday that 54 irregular migrants who were pushed back by Greece were rescued off the coast of Karaburun in Izmir province.

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.

Ankara and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece’s illegal practice, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.