12 killed as refugee boat sinks off western Turkey
Twelve people have been killed after a dinghy carrying refugees sank off Turkey's western coast, the Turkish coast guard says, adding that 31 others had been rescued.
Search and rescue operations were launched by the coast guard to reach the passengers of the boat, which sunk off the coast of the Bodrum district in the Mugla province.
The coast guard said in a statement that the operations, carried out by two boats, a diving team and a helicopter, had found the bodies of 12 people from the sunken boat at around 32 meters deep in the sea.
The search and rescue operations are continuing.
Turkey became one of the main launch points for refugees taking the sea route to European Union territory in 2015, many fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. The movement was drastically curtailed by a 2016 accord between Ankara and the EU.
Until Friday, 16 people described as "irregular migrants" had died this year in the seas off Turkey, the Turkish coast guard's website said.
(Source: Reuters)
Hamas denies reports about political bureau relocation to Turkey as false
BRICS offers Turkey partner status, says Turkish minister
Erdogan claims Turkey has 'severed all ties' with Israel
Israeli embassy shooting in Jordan leaves gunman dead, 3 police injured
VIDEO | Paris march in support of Palestine women
VIDEO | ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, ousted regime war minister
120 Palestinians perish as Israeli war machine keeps ravaging Gaza
VIDEO | Struggles of Palestinian women amidst war, displacement
VIDEO | Hezbollah rains attack drones down on elite Israeli brigade
VIDEO | US biased mediation fails
Leader: All captains of criminal, Zionist, terrorist gang must be prosecuted
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
