Hatice Kesgin
29 October 2015•Update: 31 October 2015
ANKARA
The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 340 refugees over a 24-hour period, the military said Thursday.
The refugees were found on boats off the Turkey’s western coast of Izmir, Aydin, Izmir, Mersin and Mugla provinces, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on its website.
The provinces, which face Greek islands in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, are prime spots for refugees leaving Turkey for the EU.
At least 3,138 refugees, including the 291 in the Aegean Sea, have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, according International Organization for Migration (IOM).
According to the UNHCR, the total number of arrivals in 2015 so far in Europe via the Mediterranean is now over 643,000.
