43 undocumented migrants rescued off Turkish Cyprus

By Mustafa Gungor

MERSIN, Turkey

A total of 43 undocumented migrants, including children, were rescued offshore the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), according to officials of the Turkish coastal province across from the island nation.

In a statement on Thursday, Turkey's Mersin Governorship said that TRNC Coast Guard teams had noticed that a boat in the Mediterranean, close to Turkish Cyprus' Guzelyurt district, was experiencing technical difficulties. <

When the teams reached the boat, they found it was carrying 43 foreign nationals.

Teams from the Turkish Coast Guard's Mediterranean Region Command brought one Iraqi and 42 Syrian nationals to Mersin, the statement read.

Turkey has been the main route for migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.