Over 1,000 illegal migrants nabbed across 27 provinces

ANKARA

In a large-scale operation aimed at curbing migrant smuggling, Turkish security forces apprehended 84 migrant smugglers and 1,029 irregular migrants across 27 of the country's 81 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced.

The four-day operation, titled "Shield-27," was announced by Yerlikaya, who emphasized the government's determination to combat human trafficking.

Of the 84 smugglers arrested, 25 have been formally charged, while seven were placed under judicial control. The remaining cases are still under investigation. Meanwhile, the irregular migrants caught in the operations have been transferred to repatriation centers and are awaiting deportation.

Yerlikaya vowed that Türkiye will continue its efforts to disrupt human trafficking networks that use the country as a transit route for irregular migration.

"We will never give an opportunity to human traffickers," he stated, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring border security and preventing illegal migration.