Refugees Drown, 14 Saved at Ocean

Davutoglu met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and some other leaders before the main summit on Thursday to discuss a possible scheme to bring Syrian refugees directly from Turkey to Europe.

Around 14 others were rescued after their boat capsized while it was heading to a Greek island.

An elderly local woman stands on a beach next to a pile of life vests after the arrival of refugees and migrants from the Turkish coast to the Greek island of Lesbos, on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive, on December 15 proposed a controversial plan to transform Frontex into the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, with a doubled budget and more authority, in order to better secure the bloc’s frontiers.

There was also a commitment by the European Union to pressure third countries into either activating older reintroduction agreements or agreeing to readmissions, he revealed.

A number of people were taken to hospital, with some said to be in a serious condition.

Some 80,000 refugees have been rescued off Turkish coasts this year alone, while more than 3,000 died on their way to Greek islands via Turkey.

Despite the winter conditions and rougher seas, the exodus has continued, albeit at a slower pace.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 781,000 migrants have arrived in Greece by sea since the start of the year, mostly from Turkey.

Persons suspected of organizing the trip were detained.