333 immigrants bound for Italy intercepted in Turkey

(ANSA) - Ankara, January 19 - 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.