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Syrian refugees in Turkey try to cross border to Europe as Eid al-Adha approaches

Xinhua, September 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

As Muslims are preparing to celebrate the traditional festival Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, thousands of Syrian refugees gathered in Turkey's western border city of Edirne, shouting desperately again and again "We want to cross the border!"

This is one picture depicting the life of more than 1,000 Syrian refugees who have waited over 10 days near the Turkish border with Greece and Bulgaria in an attempt to reach Europe.

Above the shouting crowds are banners reading in English and Arabic: "Open the border," "EU save children" and "I don't want to die in sea."

Edirne, which is known for Turkey's traditional oil wrestling, has turned into a new hot spot in the escalating refugee crisis.

Many refugees have built makeshift camps outside of the wrestling fields, waiting for their chances for a new life.

"I have waited here for eight days. I just want to cross the border to my final destination Germany," Mohamed Mohsin, from Syrian town of Deir Ezzor, told Xinhua.

"If I can not cross the border in land, I will try to go by sea despite the danger of life. Life now is difficult in Turkey," he said.

As his wish for the Eid al-Adha, he said "I wish European countries will find solution to our problems and accept us as legal migrants."

When addressing a large crowd of refugees, Edirne Governor Dursun Ali Sahin tried to convince the refugees to return to Istanbul, claiming that both Greece and Bulgaria have sent additional forces in order to prevent refugees from crossing their borders with Turkey.

As the civil war in Syria has now entered its fourth year, about two million refugees have fled from the war in their country. About 300,000 Syrian refugees are living in camps in southern Turkish cities close to the Syrian border.

In the first five months of 2015, over 42,000 people arrived by sea in Greece, most of them refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The UNHCR said more than 300,000 people have risked their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, with around 2,500 refugees and migrants have died or gone missing trying to reach Europe. Endit