Ten kolbers (cross-border workers) who were stuck at the Turkey-Iran border have been detained by soldiers, reports the Mesopotamia News Agency.
Relatives said they were concerned about the well-being of the kolbers, and had not heard from them in several days. It was also reported that the kolbers were detained at the border of the Dereağzı (Derav) hamlet in the Esenyamaç (Xaşkan) neighbourhood of the Başkale district in Van, and in the village of Koran in the Iranian city of Urmiye.
Speaking about the incident to the Mesopotamia News Agency, Sadeş Pelifken, a relative of a missing kolber, said they had not received any information for four days. “They were taken into custody by soldiers on the Turkish side in a helicopter on the 25 March,” said Pelifken. “They were bringing tobacco from the border. We learned that they stayed at the border for two days in the cold. Initially there were 12 of them but somehow two managed to escape and arrived at the village. The 10 who were stuck at the border were detained by the Turkish soldiers.”
The names of the kolbers who were detained by Turkish soldiers are as follows: Mihemed Ehmedi, Şemsedin Heseni, Erdelan Xelili, Ferşad Ehmedi, Mahsun Ehmedi, Feyyaz Ehmedi, Arman Ehmedi, Yûsûf Kenani, Cambexş Ehmedi and Behruz Ehmedi.