A rubber boat carrying migrants capsized in the Aegean Sea today after a coast guard chase, killing 18 migrants, officials said.
They added that at least 21 migrants were rescued.
The Turkish coast guard said the boat carrying dozens of migrants ignored repeated calls to stop and tried to escape at high speed. They say this caused water to enter the boat in rough seas, eventually causing the vessel to capsize and sink.
The boat sank near the coastal town of Bodrum, a popular Turkish tourist destination.
Rescue teams, supported by helicopters sent from the nearby city of Izmir, rescued 21 survivors from the water and recovered 18 lifeless bodies, the Coast Guard said.
Rescue teams continue to work. The nationalities of the migrants have not been reported.
The island of Kos is about 20 kilometers from Bodrum, and other Greek islands that are close by include Kalymnos, Leros, and Symi.
Greece is one of the main entry points into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and many of them brave the short but often dangerous journey from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands in small, unsafe rubber boats.
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