Turkey holds off over 1,400 illegal migrants

A total of 1,471 irregular migrants were held off Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts over the last one week, Anadolu Agency reports with a reference to the Turkish Coast Guard.

“A total of 1,471 irregular migrants and 1 migrant smuggler were captured by the Coast Guard Command in 41 incidents between 10-16 January 2020 within the scope of anti-irregular migration activities,” the coast guard said on Twitter.

As many as 12 dead bodies were also recovered during the same period, it added.

Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011, when the Syrian civil war began, Anadolu Agency reminds.