Nearly 100 undocumented migrants held in Turkey

By Hanife Erdinc and Burak Akay

CANAKKALE, Turkey (AA) - A total of 99 undocumented migrants were held across Turkey, security sources said on Thursday.

In the northwestern Canakkale province, security units rounded up a total of 77 undocumented migrants attempting to cross into Greece from Ayvacik district in two different operations, a security source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

46 of the migrants -- from Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, Comoros and Iraq -- in a rubber raft heading to the Greek island of Lesbos were held by the coast guards, the source said.

Also, gendarmerie units stopped a suspicious van and rounded up 31 Syrian nationals.

Separately, security units held 22 migrants in northwestern Edirne province, another security source said.

A truck was stopped near Edirne's Uzunkopru district that included Afghan and Pakistani nationals. The truck driver, C.K., was remanded in custody.

All migrants were referred to provincial migration authorities.

Separately, Chief Prosecutor's Office in the Aegean province of Izmir initiated an investigation in to the network of human smugglers attempting to illegally take foreign nationals to Greek islands.

Security units in Izmir conducted 10 separate operations for nearly three months and arrested 37 human smugglers. 32 of the suspects were remanded in custody.

During the operations in Izmir, a total of 389 undocumented migrants -- including women and children -- with majority of them being Syrian nationals were held.

Turkey has been a main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011, the start of the Syrian civil war.

Among migrants held in 2017 in Turkey, the majority came from Pakistan -- around 15,000 -- followed by Afghans at around 12,000. Syrians totaled about 10,000.

The migrant flow has risen 60 percent since 2016, which saw 31,000 migrants.