Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that coast guard teams have rescued 33,745 irregular migrants since 2020 in the waters of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
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This came in a speech delivered by the Minister on Friday during an event held under the leadership of the Coast Guard on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its founding.
Soylu said that Turkish Coast Guard crews rescued 19,812 migrants as part of search and rescue activities in 2021, breaking the record for the last six years.
He added, “The (Coast Guard) command has saved 33,745 people from death and the oppression of the Greek side since the year 2020,” which usually pushes migrants towards Turkish waters.
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The minister pointed out that the migrants rescued by the Turkish coast guard crews had been pushed by the Greek side towards Turkish territorial waters.
