Turkey: Irregular migrants heading to European border

By Salih Baran

EDIRNE, Turkey (AA) - Given the green light to seek their way to Europe, hundreds of irregular migrants on Friday came to Turkish coastal regions and border cities to do just that.

Turkish officials announced earlier that they would no longer try to stop irregular migrants from reaching Europe. Turkey already hosts some 3.6 million migrants from Syria alone – more than any other country in the world ­­– and has complained that Europe failed to keep its promises to help the migrants as well as help Turkey stem further migrant waves.

Irregular migrants, including women and children, have been heading towards border villages of the country’s western provinces of Edirne and Canakkale to reach Greece.

The movement started at night and grew by the morning.

Irregular immigrants also moved to the regions with a coast on the Aegean Sea to cross the Greek islands.

The groups also flocked towards the Aegean, to Cesme, Karaburun and Seferihisar in the Izmir province and Kusadasi and Dikili in the Aydin province.

The news also comes as attacks mount in Syria's Idlib province, with about a million refugees fleeing Assad regime attacks towards Turkey's southern borders.

* Writing by Havva Kara Aydin in Ankara.