Over 145 undocumented migrants held across Turkey

By Hakan Mehmet Sahin, Zafer Tayfur and Erdal Turkoglu

EDIRNE/VAN/HATAY, Turkey

At least 148 undocumented migrants were held across Turkey on Tuesday, security sources said.

In the western border province of Edirne 141 migrants were rounded up, said security sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restriction on speaking to the media.

They included Pakistani, Afghan, Palestinian and Syrian nationals who were planning to cross the border into Greece and Bulgaria.

The migrants were transferred to the migration management authorities.

In eastern Van province's Baskale district, seven Afghan undocumented migrants were held for illegally entering Turkey, said a security source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Four alleged human traffickers were also arrested in southern Hatay's Reyhanli district.

The suspects were accused of illegally transferring migrants to Turkey from Syria.

Turkey has been a main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, since especially the beginning of the civil war in Syria.