Iraq's displaced Turkmens flee to Turkey through Syria

Out of the frying pan into the fire, some 300 Iraqi Turkmens have desperately crossed into war-torn Syria from their hometown Tal Afar, the city that lies between Daesh-held Mosul and the Syrian border.

Their destination was Turkey, home to about 3 million refugees from Syria, and after an arduous journey for about one month; they managed to arrive in the border city of Hatay, with empty stomachs, torn clothes and deteriorating health.

The group, which has been trickling into the Turkish city since a few days ago, was welcomed by a charity catering to refugees and gave an account of their plight, their escape from the Hashd al-Shaabi, a group backed by Iran whose militants are accused of abusing residents of Tal Afar held by Daesh.

Authorities rounded up the displaced after the local charity gave them new clothes, served them food and transported them to a camp built by Turkey's Diyanet Foundation in Syria's Azaz.

Hatay Governor Erdal Ata told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that sick refugees would be hosted in Turkey until they are treated while the others will be sent to Syria, to a safe camp near the Turkish-Syrian border.

Most refugees hid their faces and did not give their names when journalists requested interviews. They told the Doğan News Agency that they walked on foot for forty days to reach Turkey when they faced threats by Hashd al-Shaabi as well as from Daesh which partially controls the predominantly Iraqi Turkmen city.

Pregnant mothers among them gave birth on the road while some elderly refugees froze to death. A 10-day-old infant was among the new arrivals.

Refugees claimed nearly 10,000 people fled Tal Afar and at least 5,000 of them were in Syria and trying to cross into Turkey. They said their food quickly ran out and they had to eat "whatever they came across" to survive. The group said they feared abuse at the hands of Iran-backed militia and were forced to leave when they were caught in the middle of the fight between Daesh and the militia.

Turkey frequently expresses concerns on the liberation of Tal Afar by the Iran-backed militia and urges Baghdad not to allow militias to take control of the city and instead, to set up a joint force of Sunnis and Shiites to prevent sectarian strife during and after the capture of the town.