Northern Cyprus rescues 175 asylum seekers at sea

LEFKOSA

Turkish Cypriot security forces on Saturday rescued 175 Syrian asylum seekers off the coast of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in a floundering boat, according to sources among the rescuers.

Thirty of the asylum seekers, whose boat was foundering 10 meters (32.8 feet) from the shore, were women and 69 were children, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The migrants were taken to a sports hall for health checks in the coastal town of Iskele, the TRNC.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Hasan Sadikoglu, the mayor of Iskele,