Dozens of Migrants Rescued at Türkiye Border

Refugees on their way from Türkiye to the Greek island of Lesbos across the Aegean Sea (AFP)
Refugees on their way from Türkiye to the Greek island of Lesbos across the Aegean Sea (AFP)
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Dozens of Migrants Rescued at Türkiye Border

Refugees on their way from Türkiye to the Greek island of Lesbos across the Aegean Sea (AFP)
Refugees on their way from Türkiye to the Greek island of Lesbos across the Aegean Sea (AFP)

Greek police on Wednesday said 39 migrants, including several minors, had been rescued from an islet in Evros river bordering Türkiye.

The group included 13 men, 11 women and 15 minors, the police said in a statement, without disclosing nationalities.

It added that rights activists had alerted the police to their presence.

According to AFP, the migrants were taken to the islet on a dinghy by a smuggler on the Turkish side of the river and left there, the police said.

Athens in 2020 erected a 37.5-kilometre (23-mile) steel barrier in this remote northeastern area after tens of thousands of migrants tried to break through, clashing for days with Greek security forces.

With the country headed into a tight general election later this month, the conservative government has vowed to extend the barrier by another 35 kilometres by the end of the year.

Greece's police minister has said some 265,000 migrants were barred from entering the country illegally last year.

Türkiye and rights groups accuse Greece of pushing asylum seekers back across the border.

Athens denies this, despite numerous testimonies from alleged victims.



Ceasefire in Ukraine Prerequisite for Determining Peacekeeping Mission, Turkish Source Says

File photo: Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press conference following the inaugural meeting of the Balkans Peace Platform, a Turkish-led initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation across the Western Balkans, in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
File photo: Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press conference following the inaugural meeting of the Balkans Peace Platform, a Turkish-led initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation across the Western Balkans, in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
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Ceasefire in Ukraine Prerequisite for Determining Peacekeeping Mission, Turkish Source Says

File photo: Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press conference following the inaugural meeting of the Balkans Peace Platform, a Turkish-led initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation across the Western Balkans, in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
File photo: Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press conference following the inaugural meeting of the Balkans Peace Platform, a Turkish-led initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation across the Western Balkans, in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)

A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine should be first secured before determining framework of peacekeeping mission as part of security guarantees for Ukraine, a Turkish defense ministry source said on Thursday.

"It is necessary to first secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, then determine the framework of a mission with a clear mandate, and clarify the extent to which each country will contribute," the source said when asked whether Türkiye could consider sending a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.