Boat carrying 33 irregular migrants held in Turkey

ANKARA

Over 30 irregular migrants were held in the Aegean Sea, said Turkey's National Defense Ministry on Friday.

A naval forces command patrol boat found a boat carrying 33 irregular migrants, offshore Farmakonisi (Bulamac), a Greek island some 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) southwest of Didim in Turkey’s Aydin province, said the ministry on Twitter.

The migrants were sent to the Coast Guard Command forces.

Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants aiming to cross to Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

According to official figures, almost 180,000 irregular migrants have been held so far in 2019.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar