MUGLA / IZMIR, Türkiye

Türkiye rescued 125 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea after Greek authorities pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters, authorities said Thursday.

Coast guard units rescued 47 migrants from a rubber boat off Bodrum district of western Mugla province, the Turkish Coast Guard said in a statement.

Separately, 78 migrants on board a rubber boat were apprehended off the coast of Cesme district in Izmir province.

The irregular migrants were taken to local immigration authorities for deportation.

Türkiye and global 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.

*Writing by Merve Berker