19 November 2018•Update: 19 November 2018
By Mirac Kaya and Sinan Balcikoca
BALIKESIR, Turkey
Turkish Coast Guard on Monday rescued all 44 irregular migrants, including women and children, stranded in Yumurta island in Aegean sea, sources said.
The migrants were rescued during the operation in northern Aegean, off the coast of Turkey’s Balikesir, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
The operation was launched after one of the migrants called the emergency service, they added.
Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.
Some 205,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018 as of Oct. 15, according to the Interior Ministry.
The irregular migrants were mostly Afghan, Pakistani, Syrian and Iraqi nationals.
