Iranians seek temporary refuge in neighboring Turkey as the conflict with Israel escalates

GURBULAK BORDER CROSSING, Turkey (AP) — After crossing into Turkey from Iran on Monday, Shirin Talebi was anxiously waiting for her children and grandchildren to arrive from Tehran at the same border point. The family are planning to stay for a month or two in Turkey, seeking temporary refuge from the escalating Israel-Iran conflict.

Observers in Turkey say the arrivals have increased since Israel on Friday launched strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program and military officials. However, Turkish officials dismiss social media reports of a large-scale influx of refugees.

Turkey, which shares a 569-kilometer (348-mile) -long border with Iran, has expressed deep concern over the escalating Iran-Israel exchanges. There are fears in Turkey that a prolonged conflict could threaten Turkey’s own security, cause energy disruptions and lead to refugee flows.

“I’m here because of safety. They are bombing. My children have small children of their own,” said Talebi, speaking at the Gurbulak-Bazargan crossing after arriving from the Iranian city of Urmia.

“Hopefully, it is over in one or two months so we can return to our country,” she said.

Iran has retaliated to Israel’s barrages by firing waves of ballistic missiles at Israel and the conflict is now in its fourth day.

In telephone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to act as a “facilitator” toward ending the conflict and resuming U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, which were called off on Sunday.

In a televised address following a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdogan warned Israel that it was putting its own future at risk with its military actions. Iran’s nuclear program should be dealt with through negotiations, he said.

“We have argued from the very beginning” for negotiations, Erdogan said. “Today, we are at the same point.”

He also slammed the West and Israeli actions in Gaza where Israeli troops are fighting against the Palestinian militant Hamas group since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

“Israel, which attacks Iran with the unlimited support from the West, destroys Gaza, and bullies every country in the region, is not aware of what it is doing,” Erdogan said. “Perhaps it will realize its mistake in the future, but we are afraid that by then it will be too late.”

Turkey has not provided any official figures for arrivals from Iran, with the the Turkish presidential communications office saying authorities say “there is no unusual movement, congestion or irregular crossing.”

Turkey allows Iranians to enter the country without a visa for tourism purposes and stay for up to 90 days.

At Gurbulak, one of the busiest crossings between Turkey and Iran, bus driver Ferit Aktas had just brought a group of Iranians from Istanbul and was waiting to pick up others. He said 10 days ago, three to five Iranians would arrive for shopping or tourism.

Now “there are at least 30 Iranians in my vehicle per day,” he said. “They say, ‘We are not safe there and we are forced to come.’ Most of them want to go to Europe, they want to go to Europe through Turkey.”

Mejid Dehimi, also from Umria, arrived for a week-long break Monday, not to escape the conflict, he said and expressed support for Iranian leaders.

“We are not afraid of death,” he said. “We will stand against Israel until our last breath and for as long as our lives allow.”

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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.