ISTANBUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 40 illegal migrants were rescued off Turkey's Aegean coast on Wednesday, the Turkish National Defence Ministry announced.
TCG Tuzla, a patrol boat, detected an inflatable boat carrying illegal migrants near the Edremit gulf in the northwestern province of Balikesir, the ministry tweeted.
"Forty irregular migrants have been saved by coast guard teams," the post read, without revealing further details.
A photo released by the ministry showed a small boat full of migrants standing still on the sea in the dark before the rescue operation began.
The Aegean Sea was once the main route for migrants sneaking into Europe via Turkey. A deal signed between Turkey and the European Union in March 2016 has curbed the flow of illegal immigration.
Since this year, a total of 54,387 migrants have attempted to reach Greece via Turkey, up from 25,398 over the same period in 2018, according to the latest figures released by the Turkish coast guard.
