Syrians camping on Greek border sent to multiple Turkey provinces

EDİRNE – Doğan News Agency

Cihan Photo

Hundreds of migrants camping out near the Turkish-Greek border in the northwestern province of Edirne for more than a week have left Edirne in buses, hours after a Syrian migrant among them, who led the Eid prayer, preached to compatriots that they should not go to Europe.

Around 500 migrants remaining at the area were sent in buses to multiple provinces on Sept. 24 after days of holding a sit-in to cross the Turkish-Greek border, with security personnel holding them back to prevent any illegal crossings.

The move came hours after Ilyas Ahmet, a Syrian migrant who led the Eid prayer near Turkey’s border with Europe, preached to his compatriots that they should not go to Europe.

“Don’t go to Europe. When did they become brothers and sisters to Muslims? Have they ever helped us? On the contrary, they have occupied our country,” Ahmet told a group of migrants during the Eid prayer in Edirne on Sept. 24.

Hundreds of Syrian refugees have been camping in Edirne’s historic Sarayiçi neighborhood for the past 10 days, waiting for Turkish authorities to let them go to the border with Greece and Bulgaria. The Turkish government refused to allow the refugees to continue, noting permission could be granted only if EU countries agree to take them. 

Some 400 refugees returned to Istanbul late Sept. 23, decreasing the number in Edirne to around 500. Some 50 among the refugees who stayed in Edirne attended the Eid prayer on Sept. 24. “Some of them were weeping during the prayer,” Doğan News Agency reported.