by NEOnline | GK Turkish Coast Guard announced recovering the bodies of eight migrants who drowned after a wooden migrant boat sunk near the Turkish coast of Datca late Monday. According to AP, the Coast Guard rescued nine other people and the rescue forces are still searching for one more migrant missing. The survivors, including a pregnant woman, were sent to Turkish Foreigners’ Department for deportation. According to Turkish daily, Hurriyet, the migrants, believed to be Syrians and Iraqis and they were heading to the Greek island, Kos. The governor of the southwestern Turkish province of Mugla, Amir Cicek, told the Anadolu Agency that “the Coast Guard Command is continuing its search and rescue efforts from the sea and the air.” According to Turkish authorities the victims were part of a group of 20 Syrians and Iraqis trying to enter EU. They were also wearing life vests, the Turkish coast guard said. Both Greek and Turkish coast guard patrols are conducting searches in the area to determine the whereabouts of the other passengers. The Coast Guard said it had rescued a total of 152 migrants from the sea between April 3-6, in six separate rescue operations off the coasts of Didim, Bodrum, Datca and Izmir. Turkey hosts 1.7 million Syrians and 300,000 Iraqis who have fled the crises in their countries. “We have lost 300,000 of our brothers so far. Up to 5 million of our brothers are now refugees outside Syria …Turkey’s position on refugees is clear,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on March 13, adding the country would continue to keep its doors open to Iraqis and Syrians fleeing violence.
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