Refugee boat sinks off western Turkiye, killing at least 14

"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)."

"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."

"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."

An inflatable dinghy sank off Bodrum, leaving at least 14 people dead and others unaccounted for. An Afghan survivor swam to the mainland and alerted authorities shortly after 1am; another reached Celebi Island. The survivor reported 18 people had set out before the rubber boat took on water and sank. Four coastguard boats, a helicopter and a specialist diving team are searching for missing passengers. The short route to nearby Greek islands is perilous and has caused multiple deadly sinkings. Tensions over irregular migration persist between Greece and Turkiye, with mutual accusations and the 2016 Ankara-EU deal aiming to curb flows in exchange for assistance.

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