Türkiye targets migrant smuggling organisers in nationwide operation VIDEO

Türkiye has carried out an operation targeting organisers of migrant smuggling across all 81 provinces.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on X that nationwide operations led to the detention of 29 organisers of illegal migrant trafficking and the apprehension of 687 irregular migrants, Caliber.Az reports.

81 ilde göçmen kaçakçılığı organizatörleri ve düzensiz göçe yönelik düzenlenen denetimlerimizde;

❌ 9'u yabancı uyruklu olmak üzere 29 göçmen kaçakçılığı organizatörü,
❌ 434 bin 295 kişinin kimlik kontrolünün yapıldığı denetimlerde 687 düzensiz göçmen yakalandı❗️

Türkiye; göç… pic.twitter.com/ezZaGLqzH9

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) November 20, 2025

“Türkiye presents an exemplary model to the world in migration management, one that respects human rights and freedoms, adheres to legal and civilizational values, and never compromises on public order and security. We address the issue of migration in all its dimensions, including regular and irregular migration, international protection, voluntary, safe and dignified return, combating migrant smuggling, and border management,” the statement read.

Türkiye has established a nationwide institutional framework through the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) with directorates in all 81 provinces, tasked with both promoting legal migration and curbing irregular flows, including migrant smuggling.

Meanwhile, analysts note that Türkiye’s strategic geography and its role in the EU‑Türkiye Statement (2016) and other migration co-operation frameworks place substantial responsibility on Ankara to combat human trafficking and irregular migration toward Europe.

By Jeyhun Aghazada