The Turkish coast guard
intercepted a mercantile ship on Monday with 333 immigrants
heading to Italy, said the governor's office in the port city of
Mersin.
The mercantile ship Burcin, bearing the flag of the West
African nation of Togo, was stopped just outside the Turkish
port after the immigrants, most of whom were from Syria, boarded
from four smaller boats.
The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported online that Turkish
police arrested 11 Syrians and 4 Turks aboard the Burcin,
accused of human trafficking.
Turkey has become one of the principal routes for
immigrants headed for the EU, and thousands of Syrians wait in
Mersin, one of the principal ports of departure for Italian
shores.
Italy's Interior Minister Angelo Alfano visited Ankara last
week to discuss cooperative measures with the Turkish government
regarding illegal immigration and jihadist terrorism.
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