Nearly 110 irregular migrants held in western Turkey

By Ramazan Ercan

ANKARA (AA) - Some 106 irregular migrants were held in western Turkey, security sources said on Tuesday.

In the northwestern province of Canakkale, 59 irregular migrants preparing to cross to Greece illegally were held in the Ayvacik district by gendarmerie forces, said a security source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In another operation, 47 migrants in a rubber boat were held by the Turkish Coast Guard in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Izmir.

Over the last three days, gendarmerie forces rounded up 308 irregular migrants in the northwestern province of Edirne, bordering Greece and Bulgaria.

All the migrants were later referred to provincial migration directorates.

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

Some 265,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry.

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