Turkish authorities have carried out operations in 51 provinces targeting migrant smuggling, resulting in the detention of 273 people accused of smuggling and 1,022 undocumented migrants, officials said Wednesday.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the figures in a statement posted on social media, saying the operations were conducted over a two-week period with coordination from the Directorate General of Migration Management and multiple police departments.
Of those detained on smuggling charges, 98 were formally arrested. Legal proceedings for the remaining detainees are ongoing. Authorities said the migrants will be deported, although details about their identities, legal status or access to asylum procedures were not provided.
Yerlikaya said Turkey has launched deportation proceedings for those identified as “irregular” migrants, without clarifying whether any had been granted temporary protection or were seeking asylum.
The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of Turkey’s treatment of Syrian refugees and migrants. A recent report by Syrians for Truth & Justice (STJ) documented systemic abuse in Turkish detention centers, including beatings, denial of food and medicine and forced signatures on “voluntary return” forms.
Former detainees described overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, physical violence by guards and psychological pressure aimed at pushing migrants to agree to deportation. The report also linked at least five deaths to mistreatment inside the centers.
One 17-year-old with kidney failure reportedly died after being denied access to medication and a toilet during transport between centers. Another man, Ibrahim Ezz El-Din, died in custody after allegedly being beaten by border guards. Witnesses said pleas for medical help were ignored.
Detainees also described torture, arbitrary detention of families and threats involving confinement in refrigerated “meat rooms.” Many said they signed documents written in Turkish that they were unable to understand under duress.
More than 85,000 Syrians were deported from Turkey in 2024, according to STJ, often without legal counsel or information about their rights. The report also pointed to European Union funding for infrastructure at detention centers, with EU logos visible on supplies and fencing.
While Turkish authorities describe their approach as rights-based and rules-bound, rights groups say enforcement practices frequently violate international protections.