Turkey captures 126 migrants in Edirne heading to Europe

EDİRNE – Anadolu Agency

82 migrants of Syrian and Afghan origin were detained in two separate boats on May 14 in the Aegean Sea. AA Photo

A total of 126 migrants have been captured in Turkey’s northwestern province of Edirne, as they tried to illegally cross the border on May 14.

Edirne gendarmerie forces captured 126 migrants on May 14 while patrolling the villages of Büyükismailçe, Kemalköy, Bosnaköy, Yenikadın and the border districts of Uzunköprü, İpsala and Meriç, as migrants attempted to illegally cross the border.

The migrants were from Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

All the captured migrants were sent to the Edirne Security Directorate Foreign Affairs after their legal procedures were completed.

Meanwhile, a Syrian man was arrested in Bodrum, a resort town in the southern province of Muğla, as he was indicted in the case of the death of eight migrants after their boat sunk off Muğla’s Karaada district on March 16.

The boat carrying 16 migrants had sunk off Karaada on March 16, killing eight migrants aboard. The other eight migrants were rescued by the Bodrum Coast Guard.

In the meantime, 82 migrants of Syrian and Afghan origin, including women and children, were detained in two separate boats on May 14 in the Aegean Sea by the Turkish Coast Guard as they attempted to travel to the Greek island of Kos.

Some 45 migrants with Syrian and Afghan nationalities were captured on a boat near Çelebi Island while they were also attempting to reach Kos. 

Another 37 migrants were captured on a nine-meter boat after fishermen saw the boat was about to sink. 

Syrian Muhdadham Alzahar told reporters the boat started to sink as they were about to enter Greek waters, adding the captain had left the boat by swimming. The migrants were brought to the Turgutreis Coast Guard Station in Bodrum.