Iranians flee to Turkey to seek safety amid Israeli strikes

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00On the other side of this fence, Iran. On this one, Turkey. For the past week,

00:05hundreds of Iranians have been showing up here every day at the Kapekhoi border crossing,

00:11trying to flee the Israeli bombings.

00:16It took me 27 hours to arrive because of the traffic jam, and it was hard to find a bus ticket too.

00:24Exhausted after days of travel and scared of possible repercussions because they fled Iran,

00:33the vast majority of these people, caught in the middle of this new wave of conflict,

00:38refused to speak to us. But in the crowd, amongst all the bags, there's Hussein, and he agrees to talk.

00:47When Israel started bombing Tehran, I was there.

00:50When the government issued the order to leave the city, I went to Loristan.

00:56And from there, I went to Van. I don't know how long I will stay here.

00:59I came to visit my brother, actually, as an excuse.

01:02Depending on how the situation is in Iran, if it gets bad, I may not even come back.

01:09After seven days on the road, Hussein is about to get on another bus,

01:13this time heading to Van, the closest city.

01:16It used to be a popular spot for Iranian tourists, known for its lake and lovely nightlife.

01:22But this tourist season, the city's overwhelmed by travellers trying to make their way further west into Turkey.

01:29Jay is one of them.

01:30We stay here. The ticket's ready.

01:33I mean, because it's hard for us to find a plane to go from Van to Istanbul.

01:39So it's coming on Wednesday.

01:43So we stay here for five days.

01:47We go to Istanbul and then Canada.

01:50The luckiest ones have managed to get a plane ticket or catch another bus

01:54heading to Istanbul or other cities across the country.

01:57But not everyone has the privilege of dual nationality or the means to leave Turkey.

02:02That's why the authorities in Ankara are worried.

02:09They fear a growing influx of Iranians who may have no intention of leaving.

02:13If the conditions get worse in Iran,

02:18the majority of Iranians would prefer to come to Turkey to seek for asylum.

02:24I don't think so many people would go to Armenia, Azerbaijan or other neighboring countries.

02:31That's why Turkey has a fear.

02:35With already over three million refugees, mostly Syrians but also Afghans,

02:40Turkey, already going through an economic crisis,

02:43just can't afford to take in another wave of migrants.

02:47Ankara has said it will take all necessary measures to protect its territory.

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