ISTANBUL: Turkiye has rescued 95 migrants from three overloaded boats in the Aegean Sea, the interior ministry said on Monday, accusing Greece of “pushing back” the dinghies from its shores.

Two inflatable boats carrying 37 people and 47 people respectively were rescued off the Greek island of Lesbos on Saturday, the interior ministry said.

Another boat carrying 11 people was spotted near Turkiye’s western port city of Izmir the same day, the interior ministry said. The ministry described all 95 people as “irregular migrants” but provided no details of their countries of origin.

Ankara regularly accuses Greece of pushing migrant boats back into Turkish waters in violation of international law.

Greece accuses Turkiye of turning a blind eye to irregular migrants leaving its shores.

Turkey’s latest accusations came just weeks after a fishing trawler carrying hundreds of migrants capsized in Greek waters, leaving at least 82 dead.

Greek coastguards managed to rescue 104 people but as many as 560 others on board may have perished, by some estimates.

The European Union’s border agency, Frontex, said last week it had received “no response” when it offered aerial support to Greek officials before the tragedy.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2023