48 bodies of illegal migrants recovered in the Aegean Sea on the 10th of December once again shows the plight of these people risking their lives during journeys to their destinations.

Turkey deeply regrets this latest tragic incident and reiterates the necessity of protecting the lives of people who resort to such acts.

The dimensions of the illegal immigration in the eastern Mediterranean clearly demonstrates the need for international attention and co-operation in tackling with the problem.

Turkey is at the crossroads of major migration routes of illegal migrants who set out from economically and socially unstable countries to go to Europen countries with higher levels of income.

Turkish Security forces have apprehended more than 600,000 illegal immigrants between 1995-2006. This figure for 2007 was 54.767 as of end of October, and the number of human traffickers caught in the same period has reached 1032.

Turkey has provided humanitarian assistance to illegal immigrants to the best of its ability through its various institutions and organizations.

The magnitude of the problem renders solutions to be beyond the capabilities of a single country, and requires international burden sharing.