Migrants disguised in suits intercepted off Türkiye’s Muğla

MUĞLA

12 irregular migrants were apprehended off the coast of the southwestern province of Muğla. (AA Photo)

Turkish Coast Guard units intercepted 12 irregular migrants disguised in formal suits and dresses to hide their identities and evade maritime patrols on a sailboat off the southwestern province of Muğla.

Acting on a tip about a vessel in the area, teams stopped the moving sailboat off the coast of the Milas district. Authorities apprehended the migrants, including four children, along with two suspected human smugglers.

The migrants were handed over to the Provincial Migration Management Directorate for processing.

The incident follows a broader decline in sea crossings. Irregular migration incidents at sea in Türkiye dropped by 48 percent in the first eight months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to Coast Guard Command data.

Authorities intercepted nearly 6,000 irregular migrants in 256 incidents by Aug. 30 this year, marking a 53 percent decrease from the 12,857 migrants caught during the same time in 2025. Security forces also apprehended 143 suspected smugglers by the end of August. Deadly accidents and hazardous journeys during attempts to cross the sea continued to claim lives, with 46 deaths recorded this year.

Türkiye remains a major transit route for migrants seeking to reach Europe, particularly following the influx triggered by the Syrian civil war in 2011. The Turkish Coast Guard regularly conducts interception and rescue operations along the country’s Aegean coastline.