48 irregular migrants held in Turkey

By Alptekin Soykan and Ozgun Tiran

ISTANBUL/KIRKLARELI, Turkey (AA) – As many as 48 irregular migrants were held by security forces in Turkey on Wednesday.

Coast guard teams found 40 irregular migrants, including women and children, on a boat off the coast of Sile in Istanbul province, said security sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The boat’s captain was arrested and the migrants were taken to a local migration office.

In the northwestern Kirklareli province, eight irregular migrants who had illegally entered Turkey were caught by gendarmerie personnel in the Kofcaz district.

Two suspects who facilitated their illegal entry into Turkey were arrested in the operation, according to the sources.

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

It already hosts over 4 million refugees, more than any country in the world, and has enhanced security measures on its borders to humanely prevent a fresh influx of migrants.

* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara