216 irregular migrants held across Turkey

By Mehmet Calik, Kemal Ozdemir and Mesut Karaduman</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – At least 216 irregular migrants were held across Turkey on Thursday, according to multiple security sources.</p> <p>In northwestern Tekirdag province, 122 migrants were held by gendarmerie forces, said the sources, who refused to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.</p> <p>Also, 17 suspects were arrested, the sources said.</p> <p>Separately, in eastern Erzincan province, security forces detained 72 migrants, comprising 68 Afghan and four Pakistani nationals.</p> <p>Coast guard teams in the Aegean province of Aydin rounded up 22 Palestinian migrants stranded on a rubber boat.</p> <p>All of the migrants were later referred to provincial migration directorates.</p> <p>Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.</p> <p>Some 268,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry.</p> <p>The migrants were mostly Afghan, Pakistani, Syrian and Iraqi nationals.</p> <p>*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur