ISTANBUL

Türkiye rescued 116 irregular migrants after Greek authorities pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters, authorities said Monday.

Coast guard units rescued 35 migrants, including a child, from a rubber boat off Karaburun district of western Izmir province, the Turkish Coast Guard said in a statement.

In a separate statement, the Coast Guard said its units also rescued 44 migrants, five of them children, off the same district.

In another rescue mission off Dalaman district of western Mugla province, coast guard units saved 37 migrants, including 19 children, said a separate statement.

The irregular migrants had been pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek coastal authorities, said the Coast Guard Command.

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.