UPDATE - Over 650 irregular migrants held in Turkey

UPDATES WITH MORE ARRESTS

By Mehmet Toktas, Erdal Turkoglu and Ozgun Tiran

ANKARA (AA) - At least 661 irregular migrants were held across Turkey, security sources said on Tuesday.

In the northwestern Edirne province -- bordering Greece and Bulgaria -- 420 irregular migrants were held by the gendarmerie forces, said a security source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In another northwestern province, Canakkale, 116 migrants in a rubber boat were held by the Turkish Coast Guard in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Ayvacik.

In addition, in the Kirklareli province, also located in northwestern Turkey, 61 migrants were held by the local gendarmerie forces.

Separately, in the southern Hatay province, 74 migrants were held by security forces at the border with Syria.

All 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.