ISTANBUL, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish coast guards intercepted a rubber boat carrying 34 undocumented migrants off the coast of Ayvacik district in the northwestern province of Canakkale, local media reported on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear where the migrants were from.
Acting on a tip-off about the presence of undocumented migrants off Turkish waters, the coast guards dispatched a TCSG-6 ship to the area and stopped the boat, the Ihlas news agency reported.
The coast guards apprehended the migrants onboard and handed them over to the authorities in Ayvacik to undergo the necessary legal procedures, it added.
Türkiye remains one of the key transit countries for migrants seeking to reach Europe in search of better lives, in particular for those who flee war-torn regions.
Greek islands, close to Türkiye, is a favored entry point for many migrants. Türkiye and the European Union reached a deal in 2016 to curb illegal migration to Europe. ■
