GAZIANTEP, Turkey

At least 13 irregular migrants were held in the southeastern Gaziantep province of Turkey, security sources said on Thursday.

The irregular migrants entered the country from Syria, said the source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Acting on a tip-off, gendarmerie forces stopped a minibus in the Tuzel neighborhood of Oguzeli district and rounded up the migrants, it said.

Gendarmerie teams also detained a man with initials of M.T.K, who allegedly organized the illegal crossing, the source said, adding irregular migrants were sent back to Syria.

Turkey has been a key transit point for asylum seekers who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Turkey hosts about 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world. 

*Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara