Turkey detains, deports 33 over illegal border crossing

By Erdal Turkoglu

HATAY, Turkey

The Turkish authorities have apprehended and returned 33 Syrian nationals attempting to enter the country illegally, security sources said on Thursday.

The group -- including a number of women -- entered a prohibited military zone near the Syrian border in the Yayladagi district of Turkey’s southern Hatay province.

They were later deported following legal procedures.

Turkey has enhanced security measures along its border with Syria and Iraq in recent years to prevent illegal crossings. Ankara last year erected 330 kilometers (205 miles) of walls along its borders with the two countries.