ISTANBUL, July 28 (NNN-ANADOLU) – The Turkish coast guard captured 23 illegal immigrants, off Turkey’s Aegean coast, a local media outlet reported Monday.
The Turkish coast guard stopped 23 Afghan migrants, off the Didim district, in the western province of Aydin, who were allegedly intending to sneak into Greece in two boats, the Haberturk daily said, on its web site.
Since the start of this year, a total of 12,872 migrants attempted to reach Greece via Turkey’s seas, down from 17,274 over the same period in 2019, according to the latest figures released by the Turkish coast guard.
The Aegean Sea was once the main route for migrants trying to reach Europe via Turkey. A deal was signed between Turkey and the European Union in Mar, 2016, to curb the flow of illegal immigrants.
Hosting more than 3.7 million Syrian refugees in its territory, Turkey has been urging European countries to shoulder more responsibility.
