ANKARA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye has detained 687 irregular migrants and arrested 29 suspected migrant smugglers in a nationwide sweep across all 81 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Thursday.
The inspections were carried out under the coordination of the Presidency of Migration Management, Yerlikaya said on social media platform X, without giving details on the timing of the operations.
He said nine of the 29 suspected smugglers were foreign nationals, adding that deportation procedures had begun for the detained migrants.
Türkiye is a key transit route for migrants seeking to reach Europe and has been facing rising migration pressures from neighboring countries. ■
