IDOMENI: Turkey's coast guard says 12 migrants have drowned after a boat taking them to the Greek islands capsized in rough weather.

A coast guard statement said 26 others were rescued on Thursday off the Turkish Aegean resort of Foca, near Turkey's third-largest city, Izmir.

One of the survivors, 31-year-old Iraqi national Yusuf Ali, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that he lost his wife and child in the incident.

Ali was quoted as saying: "The boat started to take in water. We just couldn't stop it. My daughter and my wife drowned in the water."

Anadolu said security forces had detained two alleged human smugglers.

About 40 migrants have died so far this year off Turkey's coast while trying to cross into Greece, the coast guard says.