Turkish Coast Guard rescues 48 migrants off Aegean

At least 48 irregular migrants have been rescued off Turkey's western coast, according to security sources on Wednesday.

The migrants, including 15 women and three children, requested help from the Turkish Coast Guard when their rubber boat started taking in water off the Urla district of Izmir province, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.

Among the migrants were nationals of Congo, Central Africa, Senegal and Palestine.

Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011 when the Syrian civil war began.