Turkish security forces intercepted 44 irregular migrants concealed inside a container at the Port of Mersin that was bound for Italy, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has said.
Police discovered the migrants during an operation against smuggling networks, Yerlikaya said on X. Thirteen suspected organizers were detained, nine of whom have been formally arrested.
The minister said the migrants had entered Türkiye legally but later fell into irregular status. He did not specify their nationalities or the timing of the operation.
Türkiye, a major transit route for migration, has stepped up efforts to dismantle smuggling networks along routes into Europe.