Refugees await help 4 years after Alan Kurdi's death

By Ali Balli

MUGLA, Turkey (AA) - Today marks four years to when the body of Alan Kurdi, a 3-year-old Syrian refugee, was washed ashore Turkey's Mediterranean coast off Bodrum.

The toddler was aboard a boat carrying 14 irregular migrants out of which five died when it sank.

The picture of his lifeless body jolted the world, giving a face to the humanitarian crisis the ongoing civil war in Syria had caused.

Ugur Ozdogan, a 75-year-old eye witness, told Anadolu Agency, the tragedy had deeply affected him.

"Maybe many children like Alan disappeared but their bodes never washed ashore," he said.

He added that similar incidents will recur if strict measures against human trafficking are not taken.

Filmmaker Omer Sarikaya is currently making a movie on Kurdi to shed light on the fate of refugees.

"Europe left Turkey alone on the issue of migrants, Turkey opened its doors because these people are our neighbors and have no place to go," Sarikaya said.

He said the revenue generated from the movie will be donated to the refugees.

*Writing by Dilara Hamit from Ankara