Nearly 190 irregular migrants held across Turkey

By Zafer Tayfur, Esber Ayaydin, Ilker Gurel and Kemal Ozdemir

VAN/IZMIR/EDIRNE/ERZINCAN, Turkey (AA) - At least 187 irregular migrants were held across Turkey on Wednesday, according to multiple security sources.

Some 50 irregular migrants -- Afghan and Pakistani nationals who had entered Turkey illegally -- were held by gendarmerie forces in the Baskale district of the eastern Van province, a source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The coast guard also held 30 irregular migrants on a rubber boat, including women and children, and one migrant of Afghan origin on a private sailboat off the Aegean province of Izmir. The migrants who were attempting to illegally cross to Greece were mostly Palestinian, Syrian and Iraqi nationals.

Also in the Kesan district of the northwestern Edirne province, bordering Greece and Bulgaria, police held five irregular migrants from Afghanistan and one migrant from Algeria during regular road patrols.

In another operation, 100 irregular migrants -- 92 from Afghanistan and eight from Pakistan -- were held in a truck by police in the eastern Erzincan province.

The migrants, who reportedly entered Turkey illegally from Iran were en route to Istanbul, the security sources said.

Police detained four suspects for alleged human smuggling.

All of the migrants were later referred to provincial migration directorates.

Turkey has been the main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011 when the Syrian civil war began.

Some 268,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry.

The migrants were mostly Afghan, Pakistani, Syrian and Iraqi nationals.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev