Turkey closes border to cancer patients from Syria
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, Turkish authorities prohibited the entry of cancer patients from Syria into Turkish territory through the border crossings of Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salama, and Tel Abyad, located in northern Syria.
An official at Bab al-Hawa crossing in northern Idlib stated that Turkey has declined to accept critical and urgent cancer cases until further notice. As a result, approximately 70 critical cases, including 45 children, have been returned to a specialized care center in the town of Sarmada, located in northern Idlib.
The official added to North Press that the decision to prohibit cancer patients from entering Turkey was sudden and without prior notification to the workers at the Bab al-Hawa crossing. Similar cases have also been prevented from entering through the Bab al-Salama and Tel Abyad crossings.
On July 23, residents in Idlib protested near the Bab al-Hawa crossing against a similar decision made by Turkish authorities at the time. The authorities had refused to receive cancer patients, causing some of the patients to lose their lives due to delayed treatment.
the number of registered patients seeking entry through the Bab al-Hawa crossing exceeds 240 on a weekly basis. However, their entry requests have been canceled at the present time.