Turkey- Iraqi refugee tells of attempt to cross to Greek isle

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Omar al-Dalemey is one of the lucky survivors of a tragedy being regularly replayed along Turkey’s western coast as refugees set out for the Greek islands a few kilometers offshore.

Like many though his good fortune is tinged by sadness - since the night he was pulled from the Aegean Sea by the Turkish coastguard his 17-year-old brother Bakr who was making the journey to the isle of Chios with him has not been seen.

Omar 21 and his parents have trawled the coastline near Bodrum since Bakr went missing as well as the hospital and its morgue.

“I am not thinking of going to Europe any more I gave up” Omar told Anadolu Agency. “First I need to find my brother then we could well continue living in Turkey.”

Omar’s journey began when his family fled to Turkey from Iraq in 2011. It ended Tuesday in the sea between Mugla province and the Greek island where Omar and Bakr had hoped to start a new life in Europe.

It echoes that of the family of Aylan Kurdi - the 3-year-old boy whose lifeless body washed up on a beach near Bodrum moved the international community to reassess its attitude to the millions of refugees heading for Europe from conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East.

For the past four years Omar’s family had been living in Turkey’s southern province of Adana after fleeing first from the Iraq war and then the civil war in Syria. They came to Bodrum a fortnight ago and Omar and Bakr paid 2500 euros ($2820) each to traffickers to ferry them to Greek territory.

He said 17 people were packed on to a vessel designed to take 10 and that the smugglers removed the refugees’ life jackets as they boarded.

“There were five young people and three families on board” he said. “They took away our lifejackets.”

About 3 kilometers (2 miles) offshore the boat began taking on water as waves lapped over the sides of the overloaded vessel.

As the boat sank passengers jumped into the sea. Omar and his brother trod water for more than an hour. At first he remained in contact with Bakr by shouting over the sound of the waves but then he could no longer hear his brother’s voice as the coast guard arrived to rescue those still alive.

“With my last words I told him not to wait for me but swim towards the lights” he said. “I thought he was among the ones rescued and brought to the hospital but he wasn't.”

He added: “My brother is still lost. Europe is now just a dream for us - one that never came true.”