Ninety-seven migrants rescued by a Turkish cargo ship have been disembarked in Malta following "intense" talks between the Maltese and Turkish foreign ministries.

The migrants were rescued on Saturday by the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel, M/V Ugur Dadayli. According to diplomatic sources, the migrants' dinghy was on the brink of sinking. 

A spokesperson of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) confirmed that the migrants arrived in Malta on Saturday.

The Ugur Dadayli cargo ship was en route to Susa in Tunisia, when it rescued the migrants in Malta's search and rescue region. The rescue was coordinated by the Maltese authorities. 

Turkish news agencies reported that the dinghy carried migrants from Libya, Syria, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Children and women were among those on board.

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