Via CNNTürk (Link in Turkish) – According to a statement issued by the Mersin Governor’s Office, teams affiliated to the Coast Guard Mediterranean Region Command spotted the presence of migrants on a moving boat in Kizkalesi, Silifke county.
The coastguard patrolling the area stopped the boat at sea. 38 migrants were on the boat, 24 of them were male, 9 were female and 5 were children. Continue reading 38 migrants intercepted at sea close to Mersin
Via CNNTürk (Link in Turkish) – According to information received, 79 migrants – 68 from Afghanistan and 11 from Pakistan – entered Turkey through Iran illegally. They took a bus from Dogubayazit to Artvin and from there wanted to go to different provinces of Turkey, especially to Istanbul. Continue reading 79 migrants crossing into Turkey from Iran caught in Artvin
On Saturday IOMtr and @IOMchief handed over 6 state-of-the-art search&rescue vessels to the Turkish Coast Guard. The vessels are part of a project that develops the capacity of the TCG to save more #migrants’ lives at sea.@IOM_ROVienna @UNmigration pic.twitter.com/tzWFjbtuVa
— IOM Türkiye (@IOMTurkiye) February 26, 2018
Via Deutschlandfunk (Link in German) – Turkey is hosting many Syrian refugees. The Turkish government always emphasized their hospitality towards the Muslim brothers. But more and more aid organizations complain about attacks against migrants. They report a pogrom-like mood against Syrians in some major cities.
Via Milliyet (Link in Turkish) – 55 immigrants from Balikesir’s Ayvalık district who were trying to cross to the Greek island Lesvos were caught by the Coast Guard Command.
According to the information received, the Ayvaçk Coast Guard Command teams detected 55 migrants on an inflatable boat in the morning on the Sarımsaklı Beaches in Küçükköy District. The Coast Guard teams, which immediately took action rescued 55 migrants, including women and children, who were under the threat of overturning. Continue reading 55 migrants were caught in Ayvalık
Via Ekathimerini – Seventeen Turkish citizens landed on the shores of the Greek island of Oinousses in the eastern Aegean on Monday afternoon and requested asylum, the country’s coast guard has announced.
The majority are said to be civil servants and the group has been transferred to the Vial migrant center on Chios, where they will be registered and processed. Continue reading Turks land on Greece’s Oinousses island, request asylum
Via CNN Türk (Link in Turkish) – Fifty migrants, including women and children trying to escape via the Aegean Sea by boat were caught by coast guard teams in the Urla province of Izmir.
The Coast Guard identified the boat, when the migrants where already in the water.
A total of 50 migrants were arrested, including 26 Syrian, 12 people from Angola, five from Togo, four from Somalia, two from Cameroon and one Iraqi national. Continue reading 50 migrants were caught in Urla
Via Ekathimerini (from 11th Feb) – Just 16 percent of asylum seekers who undertook the journey to Greece can be returned to Turkey under Greek law and European directives, Maria Stavropoulou, the former head of the Greek asylum service, has told Kathimerini.
“Given what we know about Turkey, those who can be shipped back are mostly Syrians, who enjoy a high level of protection,” said Stavropoulou, adding that the agency has ruled that 2,200 Syrians can be returned from Greece to Turkey on safe third country grounds. Continue reading “Only 16% of asylum seekers can be sent back to Turkey”: Maria Stavropoulou, former head of the Greek asylum service
taz.gazete published a reportage on Turkish citizens fleeing their country: Kurds, political activists, dismissed academics, people who are being acused of having ties to the coup attempt because of their membership in the Gülen movement, war objectors… For many, the first point of their flight is Greece. taz.gazete reports in German and Turkish on life for Turkish refugees in Greece.
Via Milliyet * – A truckload of illegal immigrants, including women and babies, was caught in Kars trying to escape from security forces. According to the information received, the gendarmerie teams wanted to stop the truck used by Ö.Ç suspected. The truck started to escape and gendarmerie teams were sent to the escape points of the truck. The truck, after a while, came out of the way by security forces and was stuck in the mud. A large number of illegal immigrants with Afghan nationality in the vehicle and organizer A.U. and the driver Ö.Ç was caught. Investigations against them were started.
* Original link in Turkish, the text above is a direct translation from the article.