Mohammed al-Jassim tells the story of his 70-year-old father’s death on Syrian-Turkish border as he tries to cross the border with members of his family to Turkey to escape difficult humanitarian situation and civil war in his country eight years ago.
According to Vdc-Nsy documentation center, the number of Syrian refugees killed by Turkish border guards or incidents on the border reached 430 since the start of the Syrian war (78 children under the age of 18 and 52 women) Or assault to 442 people.
“I left behind my father in the paraplegic seat, my mother with kidney failure, my teenager sister … I wanted to reunite my family three years after I turned away … …. I had the hope of an end to the war in Syria … but I failed.
“It was not a chance to go to the border, through smugglers and crossing Syrian / Turkish border with refugees fleeing war,” he said had agreed with a “smuggler” named “Hisham Antar Al-Abdullah” to pay for each person 250,000 Syrian pounds, or up to $ 600, and the total of those wishing to cross 7 people with a smuggler had agreed with the Turkish soldiers … where $ 4200 will be arrested. Tal Thiab east of Ras al – Ayn contrary to the village of Tash Turkish.
At 22.00 refugees convoy moved towards the Turkish border … My father was not able to walk, he crawled towards the border fence in hope of reaching the Turkish side … As soon as they approached “curtain” they were bombarded by Turkish soldiers with bullets, their cries did not stop them … Rubber bullet or warning bullets … but they were targeted by live ammunition, explosive … My father and a woman were killed in the convoy … My mother was seriously injured and she lost her eye. My sister was also seriously injured. Two minor children were injured …
“My family stayed from 10:30 pm until 8:00 the next morning,” Mohammed said. “My father was killed in the place where my father was killed. They were afraid to move because the Turkish gendarmerie continued firing at people from time to time at the party. The Syrian were afraid to go to retrieve body of my father and wounded for fear of being shot by gendarmes.
“My father Hamid al-Awwad al-Jassim died and my mother Khadija Abdullah Brik, 52 years old , was wounded. My younger sister, Khawla Hamid Jassim, 15 years old and my cousin Mohammed Ahmad Jassim, 12 years old , were also injured 21 years old injured in left hand “..
The “gendarme” targeting Syrian refugees trying to cross the border from Syria to escape the war in their country has been repeated. The Turkish government has also built a wall along its 911-kilometer border to prevent refugees from entering, killing and injuring civilians on an ongoing basis.
