Six migrants perish at sea after being turned back from Greece, says Turkey – 20 Minutes

They were in the Aegean Sea aboard four boats. Six migrants, including two babies, drowned after being pushed back by Greece into Turkish waters in the Aegean Sea, the Turkish Coast Guard reported on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, the Turkish authorities also rescued 73 other people who were trying to reach Europe, off the southwestern province of Mugla, the coast guard said in a statement. Their nationality was not confirmed. immediately mentioned, but they would have embarked from the Lebanese port of Tripoli on Saturday to try to reach Italy, they said, citing the testimony of those rescued. They finally called on the Greek authorities for help after running out of fuel off the Greek island of Rhodes on Monday, according to the same source. after being taken on board a Greek coastguard boat and stripped of their valuables, (the migrants) were placed on board four boats and left adrift near Turkish territorial waters”, testifies a Turkish coast guard in the press release. Athens and Ankara maintain more than tense relations and accuse each other of violating the rights of migrants. Greece admitted on Sunday that it has blocked the entry of more than 150,000 undocumented people at its land and sea borders since the start of the year, including 25,000 for the month of August alone. It is often chosen as the country of entry into the European Union by people fleeing Africa and the Middle East in search of a better life. Thousands pass through Turkey and then cross the Evros River, or attempt the perilous crossing of the Aegean Sea, to reach Greece. Athens has been repeatedly criticized by witnesses and NGOs for alleged illegal pushbacks of migrants to Greece. Turkey, on land and at sea, but has always denied these accusations.