Page 9 - atoday
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Tuesday 1 December 2015
Report: Turkey detains 1,300 migrants in broad sweep
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — ter Turkey and EU leaders
Authorities in northwestern
Turkey on Monday round- sealed a joint summit with
ed up some 1,300 asylum
seekers and migrants al- a commitment to re-ener-
legedly preparing to make
their way into Greece, Tur- gize Turkey’s long-stalled
key’s state-run news agen-
cy reported. membership bid and bol-
Some 750 migrants were
detained in a pre-dawn ster their resolve to deal
sweep in the town of Ay-
vacik, in Canakkale prov- with the Syrian refugee cri-
ince, which is a main cross-
ing point to the Greek sis.
island of Lesbos, the An-
adolu Agency reported. By Human rights watchdog
the afternoon, authorities
had detained 550 more Amnesty International
people, some of whom
were trying to hide in olive slammed the reports of
groves.
The migrants were put into detentions, calling them
buses and taken to a small,
overcrowded detention “alarming but not surpris-
center for foreigners await-
ing deportation, the pri- ing.” “Ever since Septem-
vate Dogan news agency
said. ber, we have seen the Turk-
The move came a day af-
ish authorities detaining
scores of refugees, often
completely incommunica-
do, and forcibly returning
them to neighboring Syria
and Iraq. This is as illegal as Afghan refugees take a group picture after their arrival on a dinghy, with other refugees and
it is unconscionable,” said migrants, from Turkish coast to the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos, on Monday, Nov. 30,
Andrew Gardner, Amnes- 2015. Authorities in northwestern Turkey on Monday rounded up some 1,300 asylum seekers and
ty’s Turkey researcher. migrants allegedly preparing to make their way into Greece, Turkey’s state-run news agency
In the wake of this week- reported. (AP Photo/Santi Palacios)
end’s EU-Turkey migration to the Turkish commitment were from Iran, Iraq, Af- were seized.
to help contain the flow ghanistan and Syria. During the sweep, authori-
talks, it’s a stain on the EU’s of migrants and officials Four suspected smugglers ties also discovered a body
could not immediately be were also detained in the which had washed up on
conscience too.” reached for comment. sweep while four migrant the shore, suspected to be
Anadolu said the migrants boats and six boat motors that of a migrant.q
It was not clear if Monday’s
sweep was directly related
Suicide bombing against Shiite
pilgrims in Baghdad kills nine
QASSIM ZAHRA and a central figure in Shi-
Associated Press ite Islam. Iraqi officials say
BAGHDAD (AP) — A sui- they expect the number
cide bomber targeted of pilgrims this year to top
Shiite Muslims taking part last year’s record of more
in an annual pilgrimage than 17 million. Earlier Mon-
in Baghdad on Monday, day, two roadside bombs
killing nine people and in commercial districts of
wounding another 21, Iraqi Baghdad killed five people
security officials said. and wounded 16, accord-
The attack targeted a ing to the Iraqi security of-
checkpoint along a route ficials, who spoke on con-
used by Shite pilgrims in the dition of anonymity as they
northern Baghdad neigh- were not authorized to re-
borhood of al-Shaab. Four lease the information.
soldiers who were guard- No one claimed Monday’s
ing the route were among attacks, but the Islamic
the dead. State group has repeat-
It was the first attack on edly targeted the coun-
Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad try’s Shiite majority, viewing
during the lead-up to the them as apostates deserv-
religious commemoration ing of death. The extremist
known as Arbaeen, when group swept across Iraq in
Shiite faithful converge on 2014, capturing a third of
the holy city of Karbala. the country and declaring
The annual commemora- it part of a self-styled Islam-
tion is often marked by vio- ic caliphate.
lence despite tight security On Monday, Iraq’s military
measures to protect the told civilians to leave the
pilgrims, many of whom IS-held city of Ramadi, 115
travel to Karbala on foot. kilometers (70 miles) west of
Arbaeen marks the passing Baghdad, indicating that
of 40 days after the anni- an operation could soon
versary of the seventh cen- be underway to retake the
tury martyrdom of Imam city. IS captured Ramadi,
Hussein, the grandson of the capital of Anbar prov-
the Prophet Muhammad ince, in May.q
