Over 1,000 undocumented migrants held across Turkey

More than a 1,000 undocumented migrants were held across the country, according to the Turkish military on Wednesday.

In a statement, Turkish General Staff said a border unit of the Land Forces Command rounded up 1,063 migrants when they attempted to illegally enter Turkey.

Out of the total, 1043 migrants were trying to illegally enter Turkey from Syria while another 19 attempted to cross into the country from Greece; another was held for making an attempt at the Turkey-Georgia border.

The statement also said 81 undocumented migrants were found attempting to cross into Greece through the Turkish border illegally; 15 others were held whey they tried to cross Syria through the Turkish border.

Also, 284 more undocumented migrants were held on separate operations across the country on Wednesday, security officials said.

In northwestern Edirne province, gendarmerie held 223 people -- including Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Moroccan, Algerian, Pakistani and Afghani-- when they attempted to travel abroad through Turkey.

Police detained two others when they failed to show their identity cards or passports.

In southern Mugla province, coast guard teams held 32 undocumented migrants when they stopped a boat carrying them illegally off the coast of Gumbet, a Bodrum district of Mugla.

Among the migrants were 8 Afghan, 24 Syria nationals, including women and children, and a Ukrainian.

In a separate police investigation, 13 Syrians were held when they were preparing to go abroad using illegal routes.

***Also in Didim town of southwestern Aydin province, Syrian origin 35 undocumented migrants were found attempting to cross into Greece through the Turkish border illegally. The migrants were sent to the local Repatriation Center.
***So far, hundreds of thousands of people have made the short but perilous journey across the Aegean to reach northern and western Europe. Nearly 2,000 refugees per month cross into Greek islands, according to UNHCR refugee agency data.
***In March 2016, Turkey and the EU signed a deal which aimed to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of some 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.