ANKARA (AA): The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 255 refugees in Thursday operations off the country’s western coast, the military said on Friday.
Eleven refugees were found aboard an inflatable boat drifting off Izmir’s resort town of Cesme, while 35 others were rescued off Mugla’s Turgutreis.
Sixty-four people were also rescued off Aydin’s Didim town, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.
The remaining 145 were rescued off the shore of Canakkale’s Ayvacik town, it added.
The four provinces of Izmir, Mugla, Aydin and Canakkale – 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 have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.
According to the UN’s Refugee Agency, the total number of arrivals in 2015 so far in Europe via the Mediterranean is now over 643,000 people.
