71 Syrians stopped trying to reach Greece by sea

Turkey's coast guard says it stopped 71 Syrian migrants attempting to reach Greece.

The migrants were stopped in a rubber dinghy early Tuesday in Izmir province, on the Aegean sea, as they began their journey to the Greek island of Lesvos.

Turkey and the European Union struck a deal in March 2016 to stem the flow of migrants from Turkey's western coasts. In the year before the deal, an estimated 1 million people crossed to Greece and nearly half landed on Lesbos. Hundreds drowned.

According to Turkish coast guard statistics, more than 5,000 migrants have been stopped so far this year, a fifth of the total number in 2016. [AP]