A group of Syrian refugees is trying to form a "caravan" from Turkey to reach the European Union grouped, AFP learned on Saturday.
Through a channel launched six days ago on Telegram messaging and followed by nearly 70,000 people, the organizers of this "caravan of light" are trying to convince some of the 3.7 million Syrian refugees officially living in Turkey to join the convoy.
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In messages in Arabic consulted by AFP, the administrators of the channel call on candidates for departure to bring sleeping bags, tents, life jackets, water, canned goods and first aid kits.
The convoy, they specify, will be divided into groups of up to 50 people, each led by a supervisor.
"Sharing the Burden"
"
We will announce [the departure of the caravan] when the time comes to leave
," one of the organizers, a 46-year-old Syrian engineer who has taken refuge in Turkey for nine years and who wishes to remain anonymous, told AFP.
According to him, some of the organizers of the caravan already live in the European Union.
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“
We have been in Turkey for 10 years.
We are protected (...) But Western countries must share the burden
, ”says one of the messages posted by one of the administrators of the Telegram channel.
Many Syrian refugees living in Turkey fear being sent back to Syria, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying he is preparing for the return of a million of them on a voluntary basis.
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