Refugee boat sinks off western Turkiye, killing at least 14

Coastguard conduct search and rescue operation after boat sank on perilous route, two people thought to be missing.

At least 14 refugees died when their inflatable dinghy capsized in the Aegean Sea off the Turkish resort of Bodrum, according to the provincial governor.

The office of Mugla governorate said on X on Friday that an Afghan man who survived the disaster and swam back to the mainland had raised the alarm shortly after 1am (22:00 GMT).

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The Afghan national told the emergency services that 18 people had set out on the rubber boat, but that it had taken on water shortly afterwards and sunk, according to the governor’s office.

Search and rescue teams found a second survivor who had managed to reach Celebi Island off Bodrum.

The office said four coastguard boats backed by a helicopter and a specialist diving team were conducting a search and rescue operation, looking for other refugees who remain unaccounted for.

Refugee and migrant boats are often lost on the short but perilous route, which kills many travellers, between the Turkish coast and the nearby Greek islands of Samos, Rhodes and Lesbos that serve as entry points to the safer and more prosperous European Union nations for people fleeing conflict and poverty.

Back in April, at least 16 people died when two boats carrying refugees sank in the narrow stretch of sea between Turkiye and Lesbos.

Last year, at least 22, including several children, were killed after their rubber dinghy capsized off the Turkish island of Gokceada.

The issue of irregular migration is a thorn in relations between NATO members Greece and Turkiye, with the former frequently accusing the latter of waving migrants through their joint border and at sea.

Turkiye, in turn, has accused Athens of illegal pushbacks of refugee boats. In 2016, Ankara struck a deal with the EU to curb the influx of people seeking refuge in the EU in return for financial assistance and other incentives.