Images of Aylan’s body on the beach has heightened global attention to a wave of refugees, driven by war and deprivation unparalleled since World War II. (AP)
Drowned Syrian boys buried in hometown they fled
A convoy of vehicles crossed into Kobane from the Turkish border town of Suruc on Friday.
The Syrian father who had survived a capsizing during a desperate voyage from Turkey to Greece has taken the bodies of his wife and two sons back to the Syrian Kurdish region they had fled from, to bury them in their hometown of Kobane, and they were buried Friday in their hometown of Kobani, returning to the conflict-torn Syrian Kurdish region they had fled.
With the burial of his family, Abdullah Kurdi abandoned any thought of leaving his homeland again.
"He only wanted to go to Europe for the sake of his children," said Suleiman Kurdi, an uncle of the grieving father. "Now that they're dead, he wants to stay here in Kobani next to them."
The bodies of the mother and the two boys were flown to a city near Turkey's border with Syria, from where police-protected funeral vehicles made their way to the border town of Suruc and crossed into Kobani. Legislators from Turkey accompanied Abdullah Kurdi to Kobani. Journalists and well-wishers were stopped at a checkpoint some 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the border.
Scores of casually dressed mourners clustered around as the bodies were laid in the dry, bare earth of the Martyrs Cemetery. Clouds of dust rose as dirt was shoveled over the graves.
Some graves in the cemetery were haphazardly marked out with borders of concrete blocks.
The haunting image of the man's 3-year-old son, Aylan Kurdi, washed up on Turkish beach focused the world's attention on the wave of migration fueled by war and deprivation.
READ MORE: We couldn’t save Aylan, but let’s try to save humanity!
Legislators from Turkey accompanied Abdullah Kurdi to Kobane. Journalists and well-wishers were stopped at a check-point some 3 kms from the border.
Aylan drowned along with his 5-year-old brother Galip and his mother, Rehan while trying to reach the island of Kos.
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