Eighteen people drowned overnight when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea as it was heading for the Greek island of Kalymnos, Turkish media reported.
Another 14 people, among them Syrians, Iraqis and Pakistanis, were pulled to safety by the Turkish coastguard, the Dogan news agency reported.
Fishermen hearing the screams of people on the boat alerted the Turkish coast guard, who recovered the bodies from the sea after the wooden boat capsized.
A number of people were taken to hospital, with some said to be in a serious condition.
A record 500,000 refugees from the civil war in Syria have travelled through Turkey and then risked their lives at sea to reach Greek islands this year, their first stop in the European Union before continuing to wealthier countries.
Despite the winter conditions and rougher seas, the exodus has continued, albeit at a slower pace.
Nearly 600 people have died this year on the so-called eastern Mediterranean sea route for migrants, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
