ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey's coast guard says it rescued 40 migrants stuck on an island after they attempted the crossing to Greece.
In a statement Monday, the coast guard said it dispatched two helicopters and one boat following a rescue request call by a migrant. Aerial footage showed groups of people on an island off the coast of the western province of Balikesir.
Videos showed coast guard officers aiding women and children to board its ship. The statement did not specify the nationalities of the migrants.
Although their numbers have decreased in recent years, migrants still try to cross into Greece from nearby Turkey in the hopes of making their way to other European countries. The Turkish coast guard intercepted more than 23,500 people this year.
