25 asylum seekers held in northwestern Turkey

8 asylum seekers found near border say they were beaten, sent back from Bulgaria, according to security sources

By Ozgun Tiran

KIRKLARELI, Turkey (AA) – At least 25 asylum seekers were held near the Bulgarian border in northwestern Turkey, security sources said on Friday.

The asylum seekers included children and hailed from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, said the sources, requesting anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

They were held by gendarmerie teams in the Kofcaz and Luleburgaz districts of Kirklareli province, said the sources.

Eight of the asylum seekers, who were found in a forest in Ahmetler village in Kofcaz district, said they were beaten and pushed back from Bulgaria.

The asylum seekers were shifted to a repatriation center in the Pehlivankoy district, while a suspected smuggler, identified only by the initials F.O., was arrested, the sources added.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar

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