SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

11 migrants drown as boat sinks off Turkey

A migrant ship headed for Greece has sunk off the coast of a Turkish resort area, leaving at least 11 people dead.

Migrants arrive on a dinghy from the Turkish coast to Lesbos
A migrant ship headed for Greece has sunk off Turkey's western coast, leaving 11 people dead. (AAP)

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Eleven people have reportedly drowned, while another seven were rescued from the sea after a boat carrying migrants to Greece sank off Turkey's western coast.

The Turkish coast guard was continuing search and rescue efforts with the help of helicopters where the boat sank off the coast of Kusadasi, a tourist resort area, Turkish news agency Dogan reported on Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear how many migrants in total were on board.

A record 500,000 refugees from the four-year-old civil war in Syria have travelled through Turkey, then risked their lives at sea to reach Greek islands this year, their first stop in the European Union before continuing to wealthier countries.

Despite the winter conditions and rough seas, the exodus has continued, albeit at a slower pace. Hundreds have died this year on this sea route.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

The number of refugees and migrants arriving by land and sea in the European Union has passed a million this year, and a further 3600 died or went missing, the UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday.

Turkey struck a deal with the EU in November pledging to help stem the flow of migrants to Europe in return for three billion euros ($A4.6 billion) of financial aid for the 2.2 million Syrian refugees it is hosting, as well as renewed talks on joining the 28-nation bloc.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world