More details have emerged in the unfolding drama surrounding the harrowing discovery of a toddler's dead body on the shores of a Turkish resort on Wednesday, as the toddler's aunt, Teema Kurdi, revealed the reasons why the family was forced to flee the Middle East by boat, according to Canada Journal.
Due to the violence in the Middle East, the family was attempting to migrate to Canada. However, their application was rejected by Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Services in June, mainly due to the United Nations' refusal to register the family as refugees due to them being Kurdish Syrians and the fact that they had spent time in Turkey. The Turkish government also refused to grant them exit visas.
Desperate, the family decided to flee by boat instead, attempting to reach the Greek island of Kos.
The boat was devastated by massive waves en route, however, which ultimately caused the death of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, his 5-year-old brother Galip, their 35-year-old mother, Rehan, and at least nine other refugees. Only the father, Abdullah, survived the deadly incident, reports USA Today.
"My kids were the most beautiful children in the world, wonderful, they wake me up every morning to play with them. They are all gone now," Abdullah said.
Commenting on the tragedy, Teema Kurdi stated that she had been trying very hard to get the family to Canada, with her neighbors even pitching in to help.
"I was trying to sponsor them, and I have my friends and my neighbors who helped me with the bank deposits, but we couldn't get them out, and that is why they went in the boat. I was even paying rent for them in Turkey, but it is horrible the way they treat Syrians there," she said.
