Turkish Coast Guards rescued yesterday 34 asylum seekers off the coast of Izmir in the Aegean Sea after Greek authorities forced them to return to Turkish territorial waters, Anadolu reported.

The Turkish Coast Guard Command said in a statement that the asylum seekers, including women and children, were aboard a rubber boat and planned to reach one of the Greek islands, but the Greek authorities forced them to return to Turkish waters.

The statement said the 34 asylum seekers were later handed over to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.