Sena Güler
18 July 2018•Update: 18 July 2018
By Ramazan Ercan
IZMIR, Turkey
At least 331 undocumented migrants were held across Turkey on Wednesday, according to security sources.
In the Aegean province of Izmir, a total of 108 undocumented migrants, who attempted to enter Greece illegally, were held off Cesme and Seferihisar districts, a security source said, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to media.
Among them, 48 migrants -- including 26 Syrians, 11 Palestinian, seven Yemeni, and four Iraqi nationals -- were held in a rubber boat, while 45 Palestinian nationals were detained in another boat near Cesme district, the source said.
Also, seven migrants from Afghanistan, six from Iran and one each from Somalia and Syria were detained in a boat off Seferihisar district.
In Mugla province, another Aegean province, 54 others were held as part of anti-trafficking efforts in Bodrum district, another source said. Iraqi, Syrian and Palestinian nationals were among the detainees.
In the northwestern port city of Canakkale, 48 Afghan nationals were held as they were trying to illegally enter Greek island of Lesbos. The migrants, which included women and children, were found in an operation conducted by gendarmerie forces.
Also, in southern Hatay province, 33 Syrian nationals were detained as they tried to illegally enter Turkey, a security source said, who refused to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Forty-six Afghan, Pakistani and Uzbek nationals, who illegally entered Turkey, were held in eastern Erzincan province during road controls.
Separately, 42 Afghans were detained in eastern Elazig province. The migrants were learnt to be brought to Elazig from eastern Agri and abandoned there.
Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011.
Among the migrants held last year in Turkey, the majority came from Pakistan -- around 15,000 -- followed by Afghanistan, at around 12,000. Syrians totaled 10,000.
