The Turkish coast guard on Sunday rescued 96 irregular migrants pushed back by Greece off western Izmir province’s Foça district and arrested three suspects thought to be human traffickers.
After receiving a tip, the coast guard reached the area and saved the 96 migrants, 23 of whom were from Iran, 15 from Iraq, 42 from Afghanistan, 12 from Bangladesh and four from Syria. Two of the human smugglers were Turkish while one was Syrian.
One of the Afghan migrants, Ahmet Ferhat Rahmani, said the group departed from the Bodrum district with the aim of reaching Greece but that they got stuck in the middle of the sea after the boat's motor collapsed.
Rahmani said they spent two days in the waters near Greece and no one helped them even though the migrants shouted for help from ships that were passing nearby. He noted that after two days, Greek elements took the migrants and moved them aboard a ship where they were beaten and then left in Turkish waters hours later.
"The Turkish coast guard found us and saved our lives."
Rahmani also alleged that the Greek elements took the migrants' belongings, phones and money, a practice that has been previously reported by other migrants in similar incidents.
The migrants were sent to the provincial migration directorate.
Türkiye has repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum-seekers, stating it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children.
In recent years, hundreds of thousands have made short but perilous journeys across the Aegean to reach Northern and Western Europe in search of a better life.
Hundreds of people have died at sea as many boats carrying refugees sank or capsized. The Turkish Coast Guard Command has rescued thousands of others.
Türkiye and Greece are key transit points for migrants looking to cross into Europe, fleeing war and persecution to start new lives. Türkiye has accused Greece of large-scale pushbacks, summary deportations and denying migrants access to asylum procedures, which is a violation of international law. Ankara also accuses the European Union of turning a blind eye to this blatant abuse of human rights.