15 Asylum Seekers Held In Northwestern Turkey

Turkish police stop vehicle overloaded with asylum seekers, driver detained.

Turkish police caught 15 asylum seekers in the northwestern province of Tekirdag, a local authority said Friday.
The anti-smuggling teams of local police stopped a light commercial vehicle during a regular check at the entrance of the Suleymanpasa district.
During the search in the vehicle with a standard capacity of 5 passengers, 15 asylum seekers with Syrian and Egyptian nationalities were arrested. They were found to have entered Turkey illegally searching for a gate to Europe.
Asylum seekers were referred to local migration authorities. The driver of the vehicle was detained.
Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants and asylum seekers aiming to cross to Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Written by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara -