Turkish security forces captured a total of 50 irregular migrants during inspections in the provinces of Edirne, Kırklareli, Erzincan and Izmir, authorities said.
In Edirne, police identified 10 foreign nationals who had entered the country illegally during routine checks across the city, officials said. The migrants were taken to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after initial procedures.
Security forces also captured four irregular migrants in Kırklareli. After processing, the migrants were transferred to the Pehlivanköy Removal Center.
Separately, police in Erzincan apprehended 19 foreign nationals who had entered Türkiye illegally and three suspected migrant smugglers were arrested, officials announced on Tuesday.
Teams from the provincial police department’s anti-smuggling and border units stopped two vehicles on different days during operations aimed at combating migrant smuggling.
The suspects were later arrested by the court, while the migrants were handed over to migration authorities following identity checks and medical examinations.
Turkish coast guard teams also rescued 33 irregular migrants and detained 17 others during operations off the coast of Izmir, authorities also announced on Monday.
The Coast Guard Command said it received a distress call early Saturday after a rubber boat carrying irregular migrants suffered engine failure and began drifting off the coast of Seferihisar. Coast guard vessels were dispatched to the area, rescuing 33 migrants, including 13 children.
Later the same day, coast guard mobile radar units detected a group of irregular migrants on land in the Çeşme district. A follow-up operation by coast guard law enforcement support teams led to the detention of 17 migrants, authorities said.
All migrants were taken to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after identification procedures were completed, according to officials.
Türkiye is a key transit route for migrants attempting to reach Europe, and its coast guard regularly carries out rescue and interception operations along the Aegean coastline.
Recently, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 478 irregular migrants and 19 migrant smugglers were captured in nationwide inspections.
Police, gendarmerie, coast guard and border patrols joined forces for inspections in 81 provinces under the coordination of the General Directorate of Migration. Authorities checked the IDs of 372,409 people and detected 478 irregular migrants among them.
In a social media post, the minister said more than 27,000 personnel took part in inspections in more than 14,000 locations. “Our migration management is based on an approach complying with human rights, our civic values and laws, and prioritizes public order and security. We are pursuing a policy setting an example for the world, in all fields from fight against irregular migration and migrant smuggling, integrated border management, international protection and voluntary, safe, dignified and regular returns,” he added.
Yerlikaya said legal proceedings to send migrants back to their countries began, and their fight against migrant smuggling would continue in a determined manner, “without concessions on public order and security.”
Türkiye has intensified nationwide operations in recent years amid rising regional migration pressures.
