Turkey searches for survivors after migrant boat sinks with 45 on board

Coast guard was told the boat sank 260 kilometres from coastal town Kas

Turkey said its coast guard was searching for survivors after a boat carrying migrants was reported to have sunk off its coast. EPA

A migrant boat carrying 45 people has sank off south-west Turkey and the coast guard is scouring the sea for survivors.

The coast guard was searching for the missing boat "after receiving a tip-off" that it sank on Thursday about 260 kilometres off the coast of holiday resort town Kas, the Turkish defence ministry said.

There was no immediate information on the nationalities of the migrants.

Illegal immigrants often use Turkey as a gateway to reach prosperous European Union states, mainly via Greece.

Many rely on smugglers and risk their lives on perilous journeys in overcrowded boats.

In 2016, Turkey signed a deal with the EU to stem the flow of migrants to Europe in return for incentives, including financial assistance.

Turkey currently hosts about 3.7 million refugees from the conflict in Syria and has been used by the EU as a bulwark to help stem the flow of migrants into Europe.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long demanded more assistance from the EU to deal with the refugees and has previously threatened to open Turkey's border if the bloc does not provide additional funds.

In June, EU leaders approved plans to give Turkey another €3 billion ($3.6bn) over the next few years to provide fresh assistance to Syrian refugees on its territory and to help the country strengthen border controls.

The plan for the new funding is part of a range of enticements that the bloc is using to try to keep Mr Erdogan on side, with Brussels also offering to modernise a customs union with Turkey and start high-level talks on issues from health to security.

But Turkey has called reducing co-operation on migration to a financial dimension "a big delusion" and urged more involvement from the EU.

Ankara has said it wants a review of the 2016 deal in a fashion that "responds to the needs of the day and common interests".

Turkey now fears a fresh wave of Afghan refugees as US troops withdraw following 20 years of fighting against the Taliban, which has been regaining territory recently.

Mr Erdogan this week said Turkey was holding talks with the Afghan authorities over the issue of migrants.