ISTANBUL 

Turkish authorities rescued 19 irregular migrants, including four children, from a life raft in the Aegean Sea on Friday, after they were pushed back into Turkish waters by Greek forces, according to a Coast Guard Command statement.

The rescue operation was carried out off the coast of Datca, a district in the southwestern province of Mugla, it said on Saturday.

"At 08:55 (0555GMT) on Friday, upon receiving information about a group of irregular migrants in a life raft off the coast of Datca district, a Coast Guard boat was dispatched to the area," the statement said.

The migrants were pushed backed by "Greek elements" to Turkish territorial waters, it added.

International law and EU regulations require Greece to assess asylum applications for those arriving on its shores. Pushbacks, the practice of preventing people from seeking asylum by forcing them back across a border, are considered a violation of international refugee protection agreements.