Türkiye’s coast guard has rescued a group of migrants pushed back by Greece in the Aegean Sea, the Defense Ministry reported Monday.
The ministry uploaded a drone video on platform X showing a Greek coast guard operation, showing a Greek vessel pushing a boat carrying migrants north of the island of Lesbos into Turkish territorial waters.
"Our Coast Guard Command was immediately informed and the immigrants in question were rescued by the coast guard boat that arrived in the area," the ministry said on X.
A senior Greek coast guard official responded, "This is in no way a pushback; it is the detection and prevention of illegal entry into Greek territorial waters."
Similarly, the Turkish coast guard on Monday said it rescued 42 more migrants on two life rafts, including 13 children, pushed back Greece off the coast of Datça in the western Muğla province.
The coast guard saved 20 other migrants who were trapped on an island near Marmaris and called in for help.
Off the coast of another Muğla district, Bodrum, authorities caught 56 irregular migrants on a sailboat headed for Italy. The group included 19 children.
Later in the day, the coast guard found 19 more irregular migrants, including eight children, in the same region.
Authorities also detained three suspects in total for smuggling the migrants.
All migrants have been handed over to the Provincial Directorate of Immigration after processing, authorities said.
Greece, one of the gateways into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, has been accused by aid groups of forcibly ejecting migrants at its sea and land borders, also known as "pushbacks," an illegal practice.
Türkiye itself is a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Every year, hundreds of thousands of migrants flee civil conflict or economic hardship in their home countries with the hope of reaching Europe.
Some migrants make dangerous journeys over land or sea with the assistance of smugglers, who often abandon them, especially during sea journeys, after receiving thousands of dollars from each migrant. Others are stopped by Turkish security forces before crossing the border into Europe.
The latest statistics, between 2010 and 2023, show Türkiye rescued 184,175 irregular migrants from its seas after they put their lives in danger with the hope of reaching Europe. Some 923 migrants, on the other hand, ended up dead on perilous journeys in the same period, while 503 people remain unaccounted for after their boats sank.
Just earlier this month, Turkish authorities recovered the bodies of seven irregular migrants. They rescued 18 others in the Aegean off the coast of an islet after their boat was pushed back by Greek security forces and hit the tricks, sinking with 27 on board.
On Sunday, Greek police reported a border police officer was injured by gunfire at the Greek-Turkish border river Meriç (Evros).
The shots were fired from the Turkish side of the river, the police said. At that time, Greek border guards were reportedly preventing an illegal crossing of migrants from Türkiye into Greece.
It was unclear who fired the shots. Greek media reported that Greek security officials believe that smugglers fired the shots.
Investigations have been initiated, the police added. The incident occurred on Saturday evening.
Smuggling gangs repeatedly attempt to bring migrants across the shallow waters of the river – known in Greek as Evros and in Turkish as Meriç – from Türkiye to Greece and thereby into the EU during the summer drought. Greece is currently constructing a fence along this border to prevent illegal crossings.
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, 3,168 people have taken this route from Türkiye to Greece since the beginning of the year through July 14.
Relations with Türkiye are often tense, and the Turkish coast guard has repeatedly accused the Greek side of mistreating migrants.
The latest incident comes two days after the 50th anniversary of Türkiye's Cyprus Peace Operation of part of the island after a brief Greek-inspired coup.
Greek Cypriots want reunification as a federation. Turkish Cypriots want a two-state settlement.
The situation remains an emotional trigger for both countries, frustrating Ankara's ambitions of joining the EU and hindering energy potential in the Eastern Mediterranean because of overlapping claims.
In 2023, the two neighbors agreed to revamp their relationship, establishing a road map to usher in a new era of closer ties.
