Thread by @jenanmoussa

1/ Turkey realizes that the only way to pressure Europe on escalation in Idlib is by allowing refugees to go to Europe.

Today busses in Istanbul were picking up refugees to drop them off in Edirne, a Turkish town close to border crossings with Greece &Bulgaria.

Vid via @OweisAk

2/ What you have to realize is that (according to eye witnesses that I spoke to), the refugees who were bussed from Istanbul to Edirne today are majority Afghans, not Syrians.

Follow this thread, I'll explain.

@akhbar

3/ Also what you need to know is that until now, I havent received any confirmation that refugees have actually made it into Greece or Bulgaria. This is important.

We only know that they reached Edirne which is a Turkish town close to borders with Greece &Bulgaria.

@akhbar

4/ I'm speaking since morning with different Syrian families in different provinces in Turkey.

They want to leave to Europe &have their bags packed. But they also say that most refugees moving to Edirne aren't Syrians but Afghans. "We will go if we are sure border is open".

5/ Only thing stopping 1000s of Syrians from moving towards border with Greece is that nobody knows yet if it's possible to really get into Greece.

All Syrians in Turkey glued to TV as Turkish TV is live streaming people flocking to Greek borders on foot, by bus &boats.
@akhbar

6/ Greek journalist @savvaskarma says a dinghy boat carrying refugees just arrived on Lesbos island in Greece, following #Turkey's decision to allow refugees passage to Europe.

In age of social media, such news travels fast to all refugees in Turkey dreaming of reaching Europe.

7/ If you are a refugee in Turkey, this is what you are watching the whole day on TV.

Live coverage with a clear message: borders are open to go to Europe.

@akhbar

8/ I just spoke to Syrian man in Hatay, S-Turkey.

He said: "Until now nobody left from Hatay for Greece. There are many turkish checkpoints between Hatay & borders so we want to be sure if people are allowed passage.

If route is open, me & 100 others ready to go immediately."

I then asked him, who are these other 100?

He said: "I am a popular guy. I sold my car today so I am ready to leave to Greece. When others in my neighborhood saw this, they said they want to join and leave with me.