Turkish police detain, fine illegal emigrants

Security forces in southwestern Turkey have detained 14 people from northern Iraq who were trying illegally to reach Greece, Turkish TV reported on Sunday.

It said two Turks who had promised to take them to the Greek island of Kos were also detained.

The 14, who included four women and a child, had entered Turkey illegally and were caught near the coastal resort of Bodrum, the TV said, quoting the police.

They are to face legal proceedings, then deportation.

The television also reported that 18 Turks were found trying to leave Turkey illegally in a lorry in Haydarpasa Port in Istanbul.

All were fined then released, except for one, who was found to be absent without leave from the army.

"The 18, whose ages range from 20 to 25, said they were unemployed, that they gave 1,000 German marks to a person they did not know in order to be taken to Italy, that they planned to cross into Germany from Italy, and ask for asylum" , the TV said.

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.