Eight migrants die as boat mishaps off Turkish coast

No fewer than eight migrants have drowned after a boat carrying them capsized off the Turkish coast in the Aegean Sea, the local governor’s office said on Friday.

The nationalities of the eight migrants were still to be determined.

According to officials, the Turkish coastguard rescued two people, while another two made it out of the water on their own.

The boat capsized off Turkey’s largest island, Gokceada, or Imbros, which is off the coast of the northern province of Canakkale.

Officials stated that the search and rescue operation was underway.

Turkey currently hosts over four million refugees, the majority of whom are Syrians.

In 2016, Ankara reached an agreement with the European Union to reduce the influx of refugees in exchange for several incentives, including financial aid.