10 asylum seekers held in eastern Turkey

By Kemal Ozdemir

ERZINCAN, Turkey (AA) – At least 10 asylum seekers were held in eastern Turkey, a security source said on Thursday.

This came after police stopped a minibus carrying the asylum seekers, all of them Afghan nationals, on the Erzurum-Erzincan highway, said the source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

All of them had entered the country through illegal means, it said, adding they were referred to the provincial migration office.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

The country hosts nearly 4 million refugees, including over 3.6 million Syrians, more than any other country in the world.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara