Hundreds of refugees stage hunger strike in Edirne
Hundreds of refugees, mostly fleeing Syrian civil war, in the western Turkish border province of Edirne begin staging a hunger strike, as they insist on crossing the border into Greece
Nearly 800 refugees, including children, women and elders, are starting a hunger strike to protest against Edirne governor's decision to prevent them from crossing the border into Greece.
Ahmed Ellatif, one of the spokesperson of the group, said the hunger strike would continue until the authority allows them to cross the border into Greece.
“We already have accepted the risk of death. We will continue our hunger strike till we are permitted to go to the Greek border," he said.
They rejected to accept food and water provided by official authorities and some local NGOs. The group canted, “Europe, Europe; Erdoğan, Erdoğan."
Edirne Governor Dursun Ali Şahin reiterated his decision to stop refugees from crossing the border. “We declared the 15-kilometer-long borderline as a forbidden area for refugees," Şahin said.
The officials are trying to convince them to go back to their country or to refugee camps in Turkey. Şahin said about 8,000 refugees reached Edirne after Sep. 10, and most of them had returned while nearly 800 people were insisting on staying.
“I hope they also will be convinced," he said, and added that they must return within three days.
On the other hand, hundreds of refugees continue to camp out at the Istanbul bus terminal for a fourth day, while many others found some way - mostly by walking - to Edirne, as bus companies refused to sell tickets. They spent another night sleeping on the grass.
Comments you share on our site are a valuable resource for other users. Please be respectful of different opinions and other users. Avoid using rude, aggressive, derogatory, or discriminatory language.