Photo essay: All or nothing - the long walk to a future in Turkey

The crossings along the mountainous 540km border between Turkey and Iran are protected by a concrete wall, with a barbed-wire-topped barrier that stretches for 140km but which does little to stop thousands of mostly young people fleeing from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran every year to leave conflict, violence and despair behind in search for a better life.

Afghans near Van city after crossing the Iran-Turkey border in Tatvan district, eastern Turkey. EPA

With no prospects of a decent future at home, they are forced to leap into the unknown and gamble on their quest for a dream that for many turns out to be a nightmare.

Ahmed, third from right, from Afghanistan and his friends on a road near Van city after crossing the Iran-Turkey border. EPA

Ahmed and his six friends walked for 28 days. They left Afghanistan looking for a future in Europe and found themselves in the middle of an almost deserted area near the lran-Turkey border on Turkish soil.

Migrants wait for days until smugglers transfer them to Diyarbakir city, on the way to western Turkey. EPA

“I am a Turkmen from Afghanistan. A month ago, we started our journey in Afghanistan, coming through Iran and from there to Turkey. I want to go to Ankara. I will work there. I will send money to my hometown," Ahmed tells EPA.

“Mum and Dad need money. There are no jobs there, so we have to come here."

The city of Van, on the Turkish-Iranian border, is an area where people smuggling is rife. EPA

In the past 10 years, Turkey has become one of the most important countries on the migrants’ route to Europe.

The country is home to one of the largest refugee populations in the world, especially Syrians.

Afghan men asleep in the open in Tatvan district, east Turkey. EPA

In the city of Van, near the Turkish-lranian border, human trafficking is barely concealed. Refugees pay between $600 and $1,000 each to cross, depending on the security situation at the border.

Smugglers charge between $600 and $1,000 per person, depending on the security situation at the border. EPA

According to smugglers EPA spoke to, migrants arrive at the Turkish border after walking through rugged Iranian mountains for days. They get into the country through the districts of Ozalp and Baskale and are kept in safehouses in Van, often for several days.

Migrants resting under a bridge near a railway line in Van. EPA

There, they wait for the contact. If they are lucky they will find shelter under bridges, abandoned shepherd's houses or a barn. If not, they must sleep out in the open.

Some travel in groups of five, others in 10s. The route and tensions will inevitably force the groups to split. A telephone will be the only form of contact with the smugglers throughout the journey.

Tensions on the route will inevitably force the groups of migrants to split up. EPA

For the survivors who make it across the border, the next stop is Diyarbakir, the largest city in south-east Turkey and the honorary capital of the Kurds.

There, migrants and refugees wait for days for someone to take them in a bus, living off the charity and goodwill of the locals. Most of them will have to make it on their own beyond this point, once they realise they have been abandoned by smugglers who have stopped picking up their phones.

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme

Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

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The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic

Power: 375bhp

Torque: 520Nm

Price: Dh332,800

On sale: now

UAE currency

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods

Sonchiriya

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey

Rating: 3/5

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

Transgender report

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Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri

Rating: 1/5

Kareem Shaheen on Canada

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Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe

THE SPECS

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm

Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Top speed: 250kph

Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: Dh146,999

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.