Children among Turks seeking asylum after landing on Oinousses

A group of 17 Turkish citizens seeking asylum in Greece after crossing on a rubber dinghy to the eastern Aegean island of Oinousses includes six children and four women.

The seven men in the group told Greek authorities that they are civil servants and judicial officials seeking protection in Greece from a crackdown unleashed by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in response to the botched coup of 2016.

The 17 Turks are currently being processed at a migrant reception center on the island of Chios and will be transferred to the Greek mainland later in the day.

Meanwhile, Greek authorities reported that 177 migrants and refugees have landed on the country's shores from Saturday to Tuesday morning - 135 on Lesvos, 25 on Samos and 17 on Chios - and 575 since the start of the month.

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