Greece prevents hundreds from entering by sea from Turkey

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s coast guard says it prevented at least 590 migrants from illegally entering the country’s waters in the eastern Aegean Sea from neighboring Turkey in assorted vessels. A coast guard statement said the migrants were believed to have been aboard five sailing yachts and four inflatable dinghies that were spotted Monday and turned back before reaching Greek waters in a series of separate incidents. The coast guard said the larger vessels are believed to have been planning to sail past Greece to fellow European Union member Italy following what has developed in recent years into a key smuggling route. The statement said that Turkish authorities were notified to pick up the passengers on the vessels as they had started off from Turkey’s shores.