ANKARA, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces have detained 63 people in operations targeting migrant smuggling organizers, Türkiye's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Tuesday.
The gendarmerie teams carried out these operations in four provinces: Van, Mugla, Sirnak, and Canakkale, Yerlikaya wrote on social media platform X.
Out of the 63 suspects, 38 were formally arrested, he said, without providing any details on the operations' timeframe.
A total of 125 irregular migrants were detained in eastern Van province during the operations, he added.
The Turkish minister also vowed to "continue with determination" the operations in every region of the country.
Türkiye is a popular destination for illegal migrants and a transit point for those seeking to reach European states. ■
