17 Migrants Drown off Turkey's Coast: Reports
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The bodies of 17 migrants were found Tuesday washed up on Turkey's western coast after boats taking them across the Aegean Sea towards EU member Greece sank in bad weather, the Dogan news agency reported.
The bodies of 10 migrants were found washed up on the shore near the resort of Ayvalik, Dogan said, updating a previously reported toll, AFP reports.
In a separate incident, the bodies of seven migrants were found off the resort of Dikili just to the south, it added.
The tragedy is the latest involving migrants fleeing war and misery in the hope of finding a new life in Europe.
The images of the small lifeless bodies on the sand echo those of three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi, the pictures of whose corpse lying face down on a Turkish beach in September 2015 spurred Europe into greater action on the migrant crisis.
There were no details on the nationality of the migrants or precisely how many children were among the dead.
Turkey, which is home to some 2.2 million refugees from Syria's civil war, has become a hub for migrants seeking to move to Europe, many of whom pay people smugglers thousands of dollars for the risky crossing.
The UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have said more than one million migrants and refugees reached Europe in 2015, most of them by sea.
The vast majority – over 800,000 – landed in Greece, according to the figures.
The onset of winter and rougher sea conditions do not appear to have deterred the migrants, with boats still arriving on the Greek islands daily.
