Over 160 irregular migrants held across Turkey

By Sibel Ugurlu

ANKARA (AA) - At least 162 irregular migrants were held across Turkey, security sources said Sunday.

In Turkey’s eastern Van province, security forces apprehended 45 Afghan nationals for travelling without legal documents.

In the Seydikemer district in the southern Mugla province, security forces held a total of 35 migrants, including Afghan and Pakistani nationals.

Some 33 Pakistani migrants were also caught in the Mentese district.

Two people were arrested on human smuggling charges.

In Edirne, a northwestern province, gendarmerie units held 17 Iraqi migrants after stopping a suspicious vehicle in the Meric district. The driver was arrested on human smuggling charges.

Separately, in the Didim district in the western Aydin province, 32 Iraqi, Syrian and Palestinian migrants, including children, were apprehended off Tekagac Bay.

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