Turkish Coast Guard rescued 60 irregular migrants from a boat off the coast of western Izmir province, Turkish Coast Guard Command said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, Greek Coast Guard forces pushed the boat carrying 60 irregular migrants, including 15 children and 14 women, back to Turkey. They were rescued off the coast of the Dikili district of Izmir province.

Turkey has traditionally been a major transit port for irregular immigrants to enter the European countries.

According to the official reports, 454,662 irregular migrants held across the country in 2019. (ILKHA)