Over 270 irregular migrants held across Turkey

By Kemal Ozdemir

ANKARA (AA) - At least 276 irregular migrants were held across Turkey, security sources said on Thursday.

In eastern Erzincan province, after receiving a tip-off that some migrants entered Turkey by illegal means, police rounded up 69 irregular migrants -- all Afghan nationals --, said a source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Separately, the Turkish Coast Guard rounded up 64 irregular migrants -- 36 from Central Africa, 19 from the Democratic Republic of Congo and nine from Palestine -- in a boat off the Sigacik gulf of the Aegean province of Izmir.

Some 17 other irregular migrants -- four Syrian, five Afghan and eight Ghana nationals -- in Izmir's Cesme district were rounded up by gendarmerie forces as they were hiding in the bushes and carrying an inflatable boat, said another source.

Two suspects were arrested over the charge of human smuggling.

Gendarmerie forces in northwestern Edirne province held 123 irregular migrants from Palestine, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.

In another operation in northwestern Tekirdag province, gendarmerie forces held three irregular migrants from Afghanistan during regular patrols.

Two human smugglers were arrested.

All migrants were referred to the provincial migration directorates.

In recent years, Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross to Europe, especially since 2011, the start of the Syrian civil war.

Over 265,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to Turkey's Interior Ministry.