UPDATE - 196 Syrians held across Turkey

ADDS NUMBER OF SYRIANS HELD, CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Mustafa Yildirim and Erdal Turkoglu

IZMIR/HATAY, Turkey (AA) - At least 196 Syrians were held across Turkey on Friday, security officials said.

In the Aegean Izmir province 160 Syrians were held when they attempted to cross into Greece using an illegal route, according to a security official who refused to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The detentions were made when gendarmerie teams in Izmir carried out five operations in Cesme and Dikili districts of the city.

All of them were transferred to migration management authorities.

A total of 52 lifejackets, a van, a boat motor and three dinghies were also seized.

Separately, security forces held 36 Syrian nationals in Turkey's southeastern province of Hatay, close to the Turkish-Syrian border on Friday, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Turkish forces spotted them when they crossed into Turkey from Syria using illegal routes in Yayladagi district of Hatay.

Turkey has been a major route for people trying to cross into Europe, especially since the start of the civil war in Syria. Until an agreement with the EU came into force in March last year, hundreds drowned while trying to reach Greece from Turkish shores.