No sign of Turkey-Syria border reopening
On March 9, Turkish authorities closed the Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa border crossings with Syria, a move some say may be linked to security measures ahead of Turkey’s parliamentary elections in June.
ALEPPO, Syria — The Bab al-Salam border crossing is no longer bustling with hundreds of people and cars waiting to cross from Syria into Turkey. It has become a quiet place after Turkish authorities decided to close it. A few pedestrians and taxis can be found on both sides of the road, while ambulances sometimes rush by from Syria.
On March 9, Turkish authorities closed the Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa border crossings with Syria. Commercial trucks and emergency medical vehicles were exempt.
As the decision to close the crossings enters its second week, dozens of people and families sleep in the mosques and in the nearby town of Azaz hoping for the crossings to reopen. The crossing’s Sijo car garage is practically empty, while Abu Mohammad, a man in his 40s, rests on suitcases along with a number of taxi drivers. He talks with them about why the crossing closed and its chances of opening anytime soon.
Signs of fatigue and despair are on Abu Mohammad’s face. He tells Al-Monitor, “I live with my family in the Turkish town of Keles, but I went back to Syria two weeks ago to get some essentials and documents from the old house. And now the crossing is closed. They won’t let me cross. And my wife and kids are alone in Turkey.”
