ANKARA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish coast guard on Tuesday rescued 143 migrants who were in several boats adrift in the Aegean Sea, the country's coast guard command said.
In a statement, the coast guard command said coast guard units in western Izmir province received information about migrants in rubber boats off the coast of Dikili and Seferihisar districts in Izmir.
The Turkish coast guards rescued the migrants after Greek coast guards pushed the boats into Turkish territorial waters, the statement said.
The Greek side has denied Türkiye's claim.
Meanwhile, the Turkish coast guards stopped a rubber boat off Seferihisar district in a separate operation and arrested 31 migrants.
The Aegean Sea has been an important route for migrants trying to reach Europe via Türkiye. A deal was signed between Türkiye and the European Union in March 2016 to curb the flow of illegal immigration. ■
