EDIRNE (A.A) - 27.07.2002 - Edirne Security Directorate Foreigners Deputy Chairman Hasan Ozcan has stated that there is a significant increase in the number of Iraqis who get caught on the border in the last one month because of rumours of a U.S. operation against Iraq.
''A total of 446 Iraqis were caught in June while trying to pass the border to Greece or Bulgaria. News in newspapers and on television about a possible U.S. operation against Iraq are causing this increase,'' he said.
Hussein Muhammed, a 20-year old Iraqi man who was recently caughed in Edirne's Ipsala township said he fleed his country to have a better life elsewhere. He said he paid a thousand dollars to the guides to pass the Iraqi border to Turkey and paid another thousand dollars to pass to Greece. Muhammbed was hoping to find employment in Europe.
Ozcan said that the Security Department spent over 60 billion TL to deport illegally travelling foreigners. Turkey is paying for food, washing and health needs of foreigners who are caught within Turkish borders.