Turkey rescues 39 irregular migrants in Aegean Sea

EDIRNE, Turkey

At least 39 irregular migrants have been rescued in the Aegean Sea off Turkey's northwestern coast, said security sources on Thursday.

The migrants requested help from the Turkish Coast Guard when a boat carrying them got stuck off the Enez district in the northwestern border province of Edirne, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.

All of the migrants were taken to hospital for medical care.

Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants aiming to cross to Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

According to the official figures, almost 180,000 irregular migrants have been held so far in 2019.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar