Turkish Coast Guard rescues 12 migrants in Aegean Sea

By Ali Balli </p> <p>MUGLA, Turkey (AA) – The Turkish Coast Guard rescued some 12 irregular migrants attempting to illegally cross to Europe after their boat went adrift in the Aegean Sea, security sources said on Thursday. </p> <p>One migrant drowned during their journey, off the Mugla province’s Aegean coast, added the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.</p> <p>Separately, in the northwestern Balikesir province, some 17 irregular migrants were held by the police. </p> <p>They were reportedly preparing to crossing the Aegean to reach Greece. </p> <p>Separately, some 50 irregular migrants who entered Turkey illegally — 37 from Afghanistan and 13 from Pakistan — were held in the eastern Van province early Thursday. </p> <p>In another operation in the same province, gendarmerie forces held 221 irregular migrants who entered Turkey illegally. </p> <p>Security forces arrested three alleged human smugglers. </p> <p>In the southern Hatay province, border forces held 85 migrants who had crossed illegally from neighboring Syria. </p> <p>Two people were arrested for alleged human smuggling in the operation.</p> <p>All the migrants were later referred to provincial migration directorates.</p> <p>Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross to Europe, especially since 2011, the beginning of the Syrian civil war.</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> <p>* Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic