The semi-official Anatolia news agency says the Turkish police have in the last two days detained more than 500 people who have been trying to travel illegally to Europe. The arrests follow mounting concern in Europe that thousands of people are trying to use Turkey as a gateway to the West. More than a thousand illegal migrants have arrived by sea in Italy in the last 10 days and there are reports that more may be on the way. Chris Morris reports from Ankara:

The Turkish authorities say they are stepping up their efforts to prevent people leaving the country illegally. The police have conducted a series of raids on small hotels and boarding houses, arresting more than 500 people in the last two days.

The Anatolia news agency says most of those detained are Kurds from northern Iraq, but citizens of Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh have also been taken into custody. A number of Turkish travel agents, who are suspected of involvement in the smuggling operation, have also been arrested.

The Interior Ministry says security has been increased at ports in and around Istanbul and a number of ships have been searched. The Turkish government seems to have been stung by the intensity of criticism from Europe. It points out that it cannot solve the migration problem on its own and last year it captured about 16,000 people trying to leave the country.

But Turkey is rejecting renewed pressure from Europe to find a political solution to the war against Kurdish rebels in the southeast of the country. It insists that economic need, rather than political pressure is the main reason so many people are trying to reach countries which belong to the European Union.
 

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