DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — “We are three friends. Altogether we had 800 liras [$274], but we are now down to our last 10 liras," said Ramazan Badur. The taxi driver, who has been waiting on the Iraqi side of the border for 10 days, added, "When that runs out, we will cross the stream secretly and sneak into Turkey.” Badur, speaking to Al-Monitor by phone, said they are tired, dirty and desperate and want to go home in Turkey. Like thousands of others, he was left on the wrong side after Turkey closed the Habur crossing, which is controlled by the Kurdish Regional Government on the Iraqi side.
The Habur crossing between Iraq and Turkey was closed after the violence nearby in Turkey. On Dec. 13, after the curfew was declared at Cizre and Silopi, the border crossing was also closed.