29 irregular migrants held in northwestern Turkey

KIRKLARELI, Turkey

At least 29 irregular migrants were held in Turkey's northwestern province of Kirklareli, local sources said on Wednesday.

Acting on a tip, provincial gendarmerie teams held 29 irregular immigrants of Iraqi, Pakistani, and Syrian nationalities, including 10 children and six women, at a mosque in the district of Demirkoy, where they sought refuge due to cold weather.

One suspected migrant smuggler was remanded in custody while migrants were sent to the provincial gendarmerie command after health checks at a hospital.

Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross to Europe, especially since 2011, the beginning of the Syrian civil war.

​​​​​​​* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara