Türkiye 'no longer a route' for illegal migrants, says minister

ANKARA

Türkiye has effectively curtailed irregular migration through rigorous enforcement measures, forcing illegal movers to seek alternative routes, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

"Migration is one of the global problems of our age. Türkiye continues to struggle with this problem," Yerlikaya stated during a meeting with media representatives held in Istanbul on Oct. 12, providing detailed statistics on the ministry's efforts in this direction.

Since his tenure began, authorities have apprehended over 112,000 irregular migrants in nearly 3,000 operations over the last three months, with around 48,000 of them repatriated to their countries of origin, he said. In addition, approximately 4,000 migrant smugglers were apprehended, and more than 1,200 were arrested.

The minister emphasized the scale of regular migration in Türkiye, with 4.71 million legal immigrants presently residing in the country. In Istanbul, where the issue is particularly acute, over 300 operations targeting irregular immigrants have resulted in 94 arrests, he said.

More than 42,000 irregular migrants were apprehended during these operations, while around 120,000 foreigners left the country due to the intensified crackdown or the expiration of their residence permits, the minister informed.

Moreover, Yerlikaya revealed that over 80,000 irregular migrants were prevented from entering the country's borders in the last four months.

Addressing security concerns, Yerlikaya expressed concerns that attackers involved in Oct. 1's suicide bomb attack in front of the ministry building in the capital Ankara might have entered the country using paramotors.

The minister referred to similar incidents involving Hamas militants crossing into Israel, emphasizing the need for security enhancement in this direction. He also noted that 1,500 Israelis had entered Türkiye on tourist visas since the conflict began.

Additionally, Yerlikaya highlighted ongoing efforts to combat organized crime. Within four months, nearly 2,900 suspects were detained, and 700 were arrested in hundreds of operations, leading to the dismantling of 38 mafia-type gangs.

Regarding drug trafficking, the minister shared that almost 100,000 suspects were detained, and over 8,000 were arrested in 80,500 operations. Simultaneously, public awareness initiatives were intensified to tackle the root causes of drug-related issues, he added.

In the fight against terrorism, Yerlikaya provided detailed statistics on operations against the PKK and ISIL. Turkish drones conducted more than 65,000 operations against the PKK in rural areas, "neutralizing" 309 terrorists and arresting around 400 suspects.

Turkish military and officials use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered, were killed, or captured.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

Additionally, 61 terrorists were "neutralized," and 161 individuals were arrested in operations against ISIL. Notably, 68 planned attacks, including 57 involving explosives, were foiled, he reported.