TurkeyA boat sinking while attempting a dangerous river crossing is feared to have killed dozens off the coast of Greece.
Efforts by the Greek navy and air force to rescue up to 50 people sunk with the ship in stormy waters off the island of Rhodes showed no signs of progress until late Wednesday, the Coast Guard said. officials said.
"There were about 80 people on board, according to his 29 men who were rescued in the area around 5 a.m.," a Coast Guard official said. "Fifty people are still missing."
Boats en route to Italy from Antalya in southern Turkeyhave become increasingly popular among those seeking to travel to Europe. High winds in the sea, 38 nautical miles south of Rhodes, although the course was on the rise. A Coast Guard official said the wreck was on the high seas.
Greek Maritime Minister Ioannis Plakiotakis said the Greek Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard patrol boats and merchant ships sailing in the South Aegean Sea at the time all joined the search and rescue operation. As of 5 a.m., Super His Puma helicopters had cleared the ocean, but Coast Guard spokesperson Nikos He Kocalas said the effort was severely hampered by winds of up to 30 mph. rice field.
"Protecting human life is our daily concern and our absolute priority," Plachiotakis said in a statement. “Over the past two years, 145 search and rescue operations have saved more than 6,000 people.”
has faced heavy criticism for forcibly expelling asylum seekers from Greek territory in violation of the Geneva Conventions.
Greek authorities vehemently deny carrying out pushbacks,but growing evidence suggests they are taking place at land-sea borders in EU border states. The Athens government describes its policy on immigration as "tough but fair".
Turkey has also said that despite reaching a multi-billion-euro deal with her EU in March 2016, it is trying to force people out of the country by halting the flow in exchange for EU aid. has been criticized for allowing the
About 3.7 million Syrian refugees live in Turkey. While the influx of European-bound migrants to Greece has fallen dramatically over the past year, this week's crossing will see an increase in the number of those willing to persevere to find refuge in the West, fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Reminds me of length.
