117 migrants held in Turkey

By Yakup Bakar, Ogzun Tiran and Fahrettin Gok

ANKARA

A total of 117 undocumented migrants were held in Turkey on Monday, according to a gendarmerie source.

In the eastern Elazig province, after being alerted to the presence of several people walking along the Erzincan-Erzurum road, gendarmerie forces detained 47 migrants, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The source added that among the migrants were Afghans, Pakistanis, and Iranians.

Separately, the gendarmerie detained 28 other migrants, among them Iranians and Syrians, in western Kirklareli, the source added.

The migrants were planning to illegally reach Europe.

Later on Monday, 42 more migrants who were walking along a road in the eastern Erzurum province were detained by gendarmerie forces, the source said.

The migrants were Afghan, Pakistani and Iranian nationals, the source added.

The source also said three people suspected of helping the migrants and organizing human smuggling were arrested and remanded in custody by a court.