Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 63 human smuggling organizers were apprehended in “KALKAN-23” operations carried out by the Gendarmerie in four provinces. Of these organizers, 38 have been arrested and 14 are under judicial control.
Declaring a zero-tolerance policy, Minister Yerlikaya emphasized, “We will never allow organizers who engage in human trafficking to make our country a target and transit route for irregular migration. Our operations, which we continue resolutely in every region of our country, will proceed without interruption!”
The operations were coordinated by the Gendarmerie General Command’s Department of Combating Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking and conducted by the Provincial Gendarmerie Commands. The specific provinces involved include Muğla, Van, Çanakkale, and Şırnak.
**Muğla:**
In operations led by the Muğla Provincial Gendarmerie Command, 29 human smuggling organizers were apprehended. Out of these, 18 have been arrested, and 5 are under judicial control.
**Van:**
The Van Provincial Gendarmerie Command apprehended 14 human smuggling organizers. Of these, 9 have been arrested, 3 are under judicial control, and 125 irregular migrants were caught.
**Çanakkale:**
The Çanakkale Provincial Gendarmerie Command’s efforts led to the apprehension of 11 human smuggling organizers, with 10 being arrested.
**Şırnak:**
Through the efforts of the Şırnak Provincial Gendarmerie Command, 9 human smuggling organizers were apprehended. One was arrested, and 6 are under judicial control.
The detained irregular migrants have been handed over to the Provincial Migration Directorates, and deportation processes have been initiated. Minister Yerlikaya praised the heroic efforts of the Gendarmerie forces, saying, “I congratulate our heroic Gendarmerie who carried out these operations. May God protect you. Our nation’s prayers are with you.”