20 September 2018•Update: 20 September 2018
By Esber Ayaydin
AYDIN, Turkey
At least 147 irregular migrants were held on Thursday across Turkey, according to security sources.
Coastguard teams held 46 irregular migrants off the western province of Aydin’s Kusadasi district, said a security source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
The migrants, including 30 Iraqi and 16 Syrian nationals, attempted to cross to Greek Islands via a rubber boat, the source added.
They were referred to provincial migration office.
In northwestern province of Canakkale's Ayvacik district, 44 Afghan nationals, including women and children, were rounded up from a rubber boat by the coastguard teams.
The irregular migrants were referred to the repatriation center in Ayvacik.
Also, in southern Hatay province, 35 Syrian nationals, who tried to illegally enter Turkey, were held, a security source said.
In Yayladagi district of Hatay, 22 more Syrian nationals were also held by gendarmerie command teams, the source added.
The Syrians were deported, the source added.
Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011 when the Syrian civil war began.
* Burak Akay in Canakkale and Mehmet Toktas in Hatay contributed to this story.
