ANKARA - Interior Ministry said on Friday that biased and baseless news stories in foreign press organs which claimed that Turkey did not take necessary measures against illegal migration and it acted unwillingly on the issue or which claimed that Turkey ignored illegal migration movements, aimed to wear Turkey out and harm its European Union (EU) process.
Releasing a statement, Interior Ministry said that Turkey brought its fight against illegal migration to the highest level especially as of 1999 and noted that administrative measures supported them with dissuasive legal arrangements, international cooperation and national coordination.
The statement said, ''some news stories entitled (thousands of illegal immigrants on coasts of Turkey-port chairmanships on alarm) in Greek press on June 29, 2003 claimed that upon some news which said that there were thousands of Iranian, Iraqi and Afghan people on coasts of Turkey, measures were increased in port chairmanships of islands including Symi, Kastelorizo, Kos and Leros and immigrants went to islands such as Agathonisi and Rhodes where measures were not taken strictly.''
''As it is known, Turkey signed Re-Acceptance Protocol with Greece on November 8, 2002 and in accordance with this protocol, the country cooperates with Greece and recorded important progresses on the issue,'' it noted.
The statement underlined that biased and baseless news stories in foreign press organs which claimed that Turkey did not take necessary measures against illegal migration and it acted unwillingly on the issue or which claimed that Turkey ignored illegal migration movements aimed to wear Turkey out and harm its European Union (EU) process and added that work and results which were taken on that issue showed contrary of this allegation.
The statement said, ''11,362 foreign people who attempted to enter the country illegally or who attempted to escape illegally from the country were captured in 1995. The number of foreign people who captured in Turkey was 18,804 in 1996; 28,439 in 1997; 29,426 in 1998, 47,529 in 1999; 94,514 in 2000; 92,362 in 2001; 82,825 in 2002. A total of 19,050 foreign people were also captured till June 1, 2003. Totally 424,314 foreign people were captured in Turkey.''
''Work which was done to prevent illegal migration by sea was accelerated with measures which were taken. Within this scope, while the number of ships which were claimed that they sailed from Turkey to foreign countries (Italy and Greece) were 19 in 2000, this number decreased to nine in 2001. While, the number of ships which were stopped before departing from the country were 17 in 2000, this number increased to 19 in 2001. It was claimed that only two ships departed from the country in 2002. A total of 70 ships and boats which included many immigrants and which attempted to sail to Italy were stopped before departing from the country,'' the statement noted.
It said, ''operations against immigrant organizations which organize illegal passage of immigrants and which earn money in great amount were increased. A total of 98 people who aided immigrants were captured in 1998. This number increased to 850 in 2000 and 1155 in 2001. A total of 1157 people who organized illegal passages of immigrants were captured in 2002. This number decreased to 369 till July 1, 2003.''
The statement said that eight ships which attempted to depart from the country was stopped in 2003 and stated that 1529 immigrants and 29 people who aided those people were caught in those ships.
Noting that 2 trillion Turkish liras (TL) was spent in 1999 to shelter immigrants who were captured in the country and deport them from the country within the scope of international duties, the statement said that there were some work to remove legal vacuum on immigrant trafficking and human trafficking issues.
The statement added that the allegation which said that there were thousands of immigrants on coasts of Aegean Sea who attempted to pass to other countries illegally was baseless.
(EÖ-UK) 19.07.2003