Protesters chant slogans as they hold Syrian revolutionary flags during a demonstration at the Bab Al Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria. AP
Protesters chant slogans as they hold Syrian revolutionary flags during a demonstration at the Bab Al Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria. AP
Protesters chant slogans as they hold Syrian revolutionary flags during a demonstration at the Bab Al Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria. AP
Protesters chant slogans as they hold Syrian revolutionary flags during a demonstration at the Bab Al Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria. AP

Syrians protest Turkey's inaction on Idlib and storm border


Liz Cookman
  • English
  • Arabic

Hundreds of Syrian protesters stormed the Turkish border on Friday, with police firing tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

Demonstrators marched on the Bab Al Hawa border crossing in northern Syria on Friday, demanding that Turkey either open the border or do more to end attacks by government forces and main ally Russia.

Many said they were angered by Turkey’s inaction in the face of a rapid advance, with intensified bombardment in recent days.

The protest comes days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Moscow in what was seen by observers as a plea for respite in the Syrian government’s offensive on the last stronghold of opposition to President Bashar Al Assad.

Turkish border guards fire tear gas canisters to disperse a crowd of Syrian demonstraters by the Bab Al Hawa crossing between Turkey and Syria's northwestern Idlib province. AFP
Turkish border guards fire tear gas canisters to disperse a crowd of Syrian demonstraters by the Bab Al Hawa crossing between Turkey and Syria's northwestern Idlib province. AFP

Russian leader Vladimir Putin told reporters that Turkey and Russia had agreed on joint measures aimed at clearing "terrorists" in Syria's Idlib province.

"Together with Turkey's president we have outlined additional joint steps to neutralise the terrorists' nests in Idlib and normalisation of the situation there and in the whole of Syria as a result," Mr Putin said.

Mr Erdogan told the Russian president last week that attacks by the Syrian regime’s forces were causing a humanitarian crisis and threatened Turkey's national security.

However, images of the two leaders eating ice cream together as fighting raged drew anger.

The government renewed its offensive on the area in April, displacing 400,000, according to the United Nations. A ground offensive was launched on August 8, upping the stakes for Ankara, which has established 12 military observation posts in Idlib under a buffer zone agreement reached with Russia.

Cars and trucks line up to enter Turkey from Syria as hundreds of protesters gather during a demonstration at the Bab Al Hawa border crossing. AP
Cars and trucks line up to enter Turkey from Syria as hundreds of protesters gather during a demonstration at the Bab Al Hawa border crossing. AP

The region is controlled mainly by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), an Al Qaeda affiliate that has vowed to continue the fight against the Assad regime.

Russia and Turkey agreed a deal in September last year to protect the area, but it was never fully put into effect.

Videos and pictures from the Bab Al Hawa crossing, which is close to Reyhanli in southern Tukey, showed hundreds of cars and trucks lining up at the border, crowds pushing their way past border guards and protesters flying Syrian revolutionary flags.

The demonstration came shortly before Russia announced a ceasefire in Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria and home to around three million people, which began at 6am on Saturday.

Earlier this month, Damascus scrapped a similar agreement only three days after it went into effect, accusing rebels and militants of targeting a Russian airbase.

City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

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Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

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Match info

Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace

Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)

Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
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Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
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Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants