ANKARA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye has apprehended 273 migrant smuggling organizers and 1,022 irregular immigrants over the past two weeks in a large-scale operation targeting human trafficking and illegal border crossings, a cabinet minister said Wednesday.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the results on social media platform X, stating that 98 of the detained organizers have been formally arrested, while legal proceedings for the remaining suspects are ongoing after the operation was carried out across 51 provinces.
Deportation procedures have been initiated for the irregular immigrants caught during the operations, the minister added.
Türkiye offers "an exemplary model" in migration management by "respecting human rights and freedoms, adhering to the values of law and civilization, and never compromising public order and security," Yerlikaya said.
Türkiye currently hosts over 4 million migrants, with the majority being Syrians, according to data from the Presidential Directorate of Communications. ■