IZMIR, Jan 22 (A.A) - Gendarmerie General Commandership Border Director Ferhat Konya said that gendarmerie forces caught a total of 109,420 people who were illegally passing Turkish borders in the last four years, when he spoke at a seminar on refugee law organized by the U.N. Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Izmir on Tuesday.
Konya said that maintaining border safety was Turkey's biggest responsibility. Gendarmerie forces are deployed on 90 kilometer part of the Iranian border and they are present on the entire Iraqi border, he said.
''The problems in the Middle East, collapse of the Soviet Union, regime changes in Iran, splitting of Yugoslavia, Iran-Iraqi war, Gulf Crisis, domestic war in Afghanistan, Iraqi regime, economic hardships in Africa and Asia force people who live in these regions to immigrate to other countries through illegal ways. Turkey, which is like a bridge between the East and the West was naturally directly affected by this situation,'' he said.
He explained that illegal entrances to Turkey mostly take place in Van, Agri, Edirne and Sirnak. If they manage to enter Turkey, they attempt to leave it mostly from Edirne, izmir, Mugla and Canakkale.
''Most of those who are caught are Iraqi citizens. Others are mostly from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Banglades and Palestinian. Some 6,562 Turkish citizens were also caught while attempting to leave the country illegally,'' he said.
Most foreigners who enter Turkey illegally try to find jobs in big cities like Istanbul in order to save the money they have to pay to people who promise to smuggle them outside Turkey.
Konya also said that members of terrorist organizations apply for asylum in European countries and carry out terrorist activities in Turkey. ''They cause harm to public and property in Turkey and they deceive European authorites by showing them fake documents. If this is mentioned at international platforms, terrorists would not be accepted in European countries and the financial resources which are assigned for refugees, not terrorists, would not be wasted,'' he continued.
UNHCR Turkey Representative Mirza Hussain Khan said his office would provide translators for the refugees who come to Turkey's border through a new agreement signed with the Interior Ministry.
''We are already meeting some of the medical and other needs of the refugees. If a person is accepted as a refugee, that person is given a money based on the minimum wage in Turkey. A significant amount of money is provided from the social solidarity funds in Turkey for refugees,'' he said.
The commanders of gendarmerie units who are patrolling Turkey's borders said that the amount of food and medical equipment provided to people who illegally pass the borders were limited and that they expected officials to increase these amounts.