Ankara, Nov 25 (IANS): Turkish authorities apprehended 1,298 immigrants and 43 smugglers, seven of whom were foreign nationals, during a nationwide operation, Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Monday.

In a statement on social media platform X, Yerlikaya said deportation procedures for the detained immigrants are underway.

The large-scale operations involved 28,835 security personnel inspecting 5,735 locations, including 4,606 abandoned buildings, 8,048 entertainment venues, truck depots, bus stations, ports, and transportation hubs, the Turkish minister said, without specifying the timing of the operation.

Yerlikaya emphasised the government's commitment to combating irregular migration and human smuggling while ensuring peace and security in the country.

Since 2020, Turkey has intercepted over 1.1 million irregular immigrants, according to the data of the Turkish Interior Ministry. Afghan nationals have made up the largest group of these immigrants, followed by Syrians, Xinhua news agency reported.