Turkey captures 666 irregular migrants, 52 smugglers in nationwide raid

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced that nationwide operations targeting irregular migration have led to the apprehension of 52 migrant smugglers — including 14 foreign nationals — and 666 irregular migrants across Türkiye.

Sharing details on social media, Yerlikaya said operations were carried out in all 81 provinces with the participation of more than 28,000 personnel, 8,900 teams and at over 15,000 inspection points, including public venues, bus terminals and other locations.

Authorities conducted identity checks on more than 402,000 individuals. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the smugglers, while deportation processes for the irregular migrants are underway.

Separately, an operation took place in the southwestern province of Muğla, where 80 migrants and two organizers were intercepted aboard a luxury sailing yacht en route to Italy. The vessel was stopped near Kızıl Ada in the early morning hours.

The suspects were taken into custody and will face judicial proceedings, while the migrants were transferred to a repatriation center after health checks.