Ankara – The Turkish government said it would give convicted people smugglers punishments similar to terrorists.
Deputy Prime Minister, Numan Kurtulmus, said on Tuesday during a meeting with international news agency correspondents, that Turkey’s parliament would be enacting a law that would immediately enforce the measure.
He said as part of an agreement with the EU, Turkey is stepping up efforts to clamp down on people smugglers, as well as improving conditions for refugees in Turkey.
Kurtulmus said Turkey was the most important stop for migrants seeking entry into the EU in the past years,[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
Turkish authorities stopped 156,000 refugees illegally crossing the border and arrested 4,800 people smugglers. (dpa/NAN)