Operation Kalkan-35: Türkiye targets illegal immigration, migrant smuggling networks VIDEO

Turkish law enforcers have conducted Operation Kalkan-35 to identify illegal immigrants and tackle migrant smuggling organizers.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya provided an update on the operation in a statement shared on social media platform X, Caliber.Az reports.

Ülke genelinde dün düzenlenen “KALKAN-35” operasyonlarında 9’u yabancı uyruklu olmak üzere toplam:
⛔️31 göçmen kaçakçılığı organizatörü ve

⛔️ 366 bin 838 kişinin kimlik kontrolünün yapıldığı denetimlerde 981 düzensiz göçmen yakalandı❗️

Türkiye; göç yönetiminde, insan hak ve… pic.twitter.com/e7AYLVyUwD

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) December 13, 2024

"During an operation carried out nationwide, 31 people involved in migrant smuggling were arrested, along with 981 illegal immigrants, 9 of whom were foreign nationals. The process of repatriating the identified illegal immigrants has begun," the statement reads.

Thus, under the coordination of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices and the Directorate General of Migration Management; in the efforts to combat irregular migration and human traffickers carried out by the General Directorate of Security, the General Command of Gendarmerie, and the Coast Guard Command, inspections were conducted at abandoned buildings, public entertainment venues, truck garages, terminals, ports, public transport stops, and stations.

During the inspections, where the identities of 366,838 individuals were checked: 26,438 personnel, 8,412 teams, 5,396 locations were involved.

A total of 15,250 locations were inspected, including: 4,327 abandoned buildings, 7,475 public places, 461 terminals, and 2,987 other locations.

By Aghakazim Guliyev