Tens of Thousands of Displaced People from Aleppo Remain at the Turkish Border

Despite Turkey's claims that it is accepting newly arrived Syrian refugees, reports indicate that its border remains closed to those fleeing government attacks around Aleppo. According to reports, as of the evening of February 6, Syrian refugees have still not been able to cross the border. The Turkish news network CNN Türk quoted Numan Kurtulmuş, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, stating that they will continue to accept refugees 'despite being overwhelmed' by them. The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that refugees 'either die in bombings, and Turkey... like the rest of the world will watch that, or it will open its borders.' The Associated Press reports that despite these statements from Turkish officials, it is unclear why the 'Oncupinar/Bab al-Salam' border remains closed and why tens of thousands of newly displaced Syrians have not been immediately accepted into Turkey. The British newspaper The Guardian also notes that there are no signs that Ankara is responding positively to international pressure to accept more refugees. The new wave of Syrian refugees has emerged following the escalation of attacks by Bashar al-Assad's government forces and allied militia groups, supported by Russian airstrikes in areas surrounding Aleppo. The exact number of these new refugees is unclear, but the Turkish government has stated that at least 80,000 people have gathered or are moving towards the border. The Anadolu Agency also reported that in just the past 48 hours, 30,000 to 35,000 Syrians have reached the city of Azaz at the Turkish border. A convoy of aid for refugees is at the Oncupinar border, but the borders remain closed. In recent days, several international figures and officials have called for increased aid to Syrian refugees. Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, expressed deep concern during Sunday prayers at the Vatican regarding the situation of Syrian citizens who are 'caught in the midst of violent battles and forced to leave everything to escape the horrors of war.' Federica Mogherini, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, also stated on Saturday that Ankara has a 'legal and moral obligation' to support the people gathered at the borders. Ms. Mogherini emphasized that there is no doubt these individuals need international support and protection.