33 foreign nationals held for illegally entering Turkey: Sources

By Cuma Sari and Ufuk Ertop

KIRKLARELI/SANLIURFA, Turkey (AA) - A total of 33 foreign nationals who illegally entered Turkey were held in different parts of Turkey, according to security sources on Monday.

Gendarmerie teams in the Siverek district of the southeastern Sanliurfa province learned that some foreign nationals were hiding in corn fields next to the Siverek-Diyarbakir highway.

The teams raided and held 28 Afghan and Pakistani nationals. They were fined 133,000 Turkish liras (over $15,000) in total, and referred to a local repatriation center.

Separately, another five people were held in the northwestern Kirklareli province.

Acting on a tip-off, gendarmerie teams held the Afghan nationals in the Vize district and Caglayik village. The migrants claimed they were beaten in Bulgaria and sent to Turkey. Later, they were referred to a local repatriation center.