At least six refugees were drowned on Tuesday as their boat capsized in the Aegean Sea while attempting to reach a Greek island, the media reported.
The boat people, seeking better lives in Europe, departed from Cesme in Turkey's province of Izmir off the Aegean, Xinhau reported.
The Turkish coast guards rescued eight asylum seekers who were found with their life jackets on the surface of the sea, the agency said.
It was still not clear how many refugees were on the boat. The rescue operations continued to find the missing.
About 400,000 refugees have entered Greece via Turkey in 2015, but over 3,000, mostly Syrians, have lost their lives in boat accidents across the Aegean.