27.12.2025 09:40
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 156 human smuggling organizers have been captured in operations conducted over the last two weeks in 14 provinces. Of the suspects, 112 have been arrested, while judicial control measures have been applied to 44 others.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya provided information about the operations conducted for two weeks against the organizers of human smuggling in 14 provinces.
156 HUMAN SMUGGLING ORGANIZERS ARRESTED
Minister Yerlikaya reported that 156 human smuggling organizers were arrested during the operations, of which 112 were detained and judicial control measures were applied to 44.
"120 VEHICLES AND 13 BOATS SEIZED"
Sharing the details of the operation, Yerlikaya stated: "As a result of coordinated efforts, the human smuggling network extending from our major cities to the coastal provinces has been deciphered.
Under the coordination of our General Command of Gendarmerie’s Department of Combating Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking; operations conducted with the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from the air and by our Provincial Gendarmerie Commands on the ground in Edirne, Muğla, Aydın, Balıkesir, İzmir, Çanakkale, Tekirdağ, Antalya, Mersin, Van, Şanlıurfa, Erzurum, Hatay, and Gaziantep resulted in the seizure of 120 vehicles and 13 boats.
"DETERRENT MECHANISMS ARE OPERATED BOTH ON THE GROUND AND IN LEGAL FRAMEWORK"
The security aspect of migration management consists of effective efforts carried out based on the principles of the rule of law and respect for human rights in the fields of combating human trafficking, irregular migration, and human smuggling.
In this context, border security is being strengthened by utilizing advanced technologies and sophisticated monitoring-control systems; strong and deterrent mechanisms are being operated both on the ground and in the legal framework against structures that promote and organize illegal migration routes. I congratulate those involved."