At least 33 irregular migrants have been held in Turkey’s Aegean province of Aydin, security sources said Tuesday.
The Turkish Coast Guard identified a group of people sailing in a rubber boat off the coast of Kusadasi district, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Turkish police and Coast Guard teams carried out a joint operation to hold 14 Iraqi nationals, 13 Afghans and 6 Syrians.
All of the migrants were referred to the provincial migration office.
Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011, when the Syrian civil war began.