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my protokoll:

a few days ago some photos and videos popped up in my inbox …

Mahir, still shocked, wants to share his story with me and you: our situation not quite usual, two people not speaking one language in common, but read yourself:

thank you for the videos; where from? Turkey to Greece ? when?? did you take them? are you safe?
I will tell you the story
first: are you safe?
I am now in Turkey and I am not safe I was going to Greece on 08/15/2020
oh holy shit   I’m so sorry
My family and I went to Greece. We escaped from war in Syria and went to Europe to find a safe life, but unfortunately we did not find anything to expect. We found a second war

had you been on one of the Greek Islands? in a camp? how did you come to Turkey then ?

Is there anyone I can talk to an Arab? I use a translator program To explain the event to you

I’m using online translations only ..

I could not find the study to learn the English language because of the war in Syria
sorry – no – I don’t know any Arabic , and do not know anyone who speaks Arabic

I have a friend who speaks english and will speak together and messengers for you
ok ok

****

dear Mahir, did you find an English speaking friend?? .. maybe you just write your story in Arabic – and let me read it with my online translator but – might be a long writing .. too long? — and I am still trying to find someone trustworthy who speaks Arabic – take care!

Dear brother, I sent to a friend, but he did not answer me; I do not find standard Arabic

what Arabic do you speak? what Arabic do you write?

كيف حالكانا اسمي ماهر من سوريا this is what my translator tells me: How are you? – My name is Mahir from Syria

when I do not understand, what you tell me, I will ask you … ok? ok

سوف احكي لك قصتي [I will tell you my story ]

yes, please

انا وعائلتي ذهبنا الى جزيرة اليونانانت اسالني وانا اجاوبك [My family and I went to the island of Greece 
You ask me and I will answer you]

do you know the name of the Greek Island?

متليني [Mytilene]

Turkey – departure point
planned route from Turkey to Lesvos - Greece
planned route from Turkey to Lesvos

Mytilene is a small Greek town on Lesvos Island; when did you reach Lesvos/ Mytilene? when did you arrive there ?

لم اوصل الى الجزيرة تم إعادة الى تركيا
نطلقنه في الساعه 2 صباحا في اتجاه متليني [ I did not get to the island and was sent back to Turkey; at 2 am they shot at our direction ]


they were shooting at you?? at 2 o’clock in the morning? it was dark ?
or around noon during the day? in sunshine?
No it was dark
can you remember the day? date?

انطلقنا في القارب في واسط البحر مشينه ساعتين وتلاق بينه خفر السواحل اليونان [ We set off on the boat in Wasit Al Bahr, went on about two hours, and the Greek coast guard met it]

اخذ منه البنزين ونحنا كنا في الميه التركيا [ He took gasoline from him and we were in Turkish water]
I understood: you set off in … ( have not found the name) and went on the boat for 2 hours then the Greek coast guards came and stole your gasoline

yes

did the Greek coast guards take you back to Turkish waters?

نحنو كنا في المياه القلميه التركيا [ We were in Turkish peninsula ]

what is the name of the Turkish place you got on the boat ??

starting point in Turkey

ثم اتى الخفر السواحل التركي [ Then came the Turkish coast guard ]

and then the Turkish Coast guards took you back to Turkey?
no
ولحق الخفر السواحل اليونان لنهم دخلو المياه التركيا [ The coast guard caught Greece because they entered Turkish waters ]

oh – the Turkish coast Guards were against the Greek Coast guards, because the Greeks were in Turkish waters ?? was it in Turkish waters when the Greek stole your gasoline?

ثم كان في القارب بنزين حطياطي [ Then there was hottie ??? petrol in the boat] 

could you take photos of that?

ثم شغلنه المحرك [ Then start the engine]

the boat was full of petrol?? please say again – ? I do not understand:  ثم كان في القارب بنزين حطياطي  [Then there was hottie petrol in the boat >> Then the boat had spare gasoline]


There was no petrol in the boat

what do I see on these pictures?

The Greek coast guard was coming to us

but – you were in Turkish waters? “The Greek coast guard was coming to us” .. is that on the photos?

Yes, these photos were at the time that the Greek coast guard came to us

نعم ثم اشغلا المحرك وهبنا الئ وجهتنا الي جزيرة اليوناني [ Yes, then the engine started and we headed to our destination on the Greek island]

كان الخفر السواحل التركي يطارد الخفر السواحل اليونان [ The Turkish coast guard was chasing the Greek coast guard]

كان بعيد عنا ثم وصلنا المياه القليمه اليوناني وثم اتا الخفر السواحل اليونان مره اخرى [ It was far from us, then we reached the Greek coastal waters, and then the Greek coast guard came again]

??? … while the turkish Coast guards were behind the HCG . .. you started (again) to go to the Greek Island 

yes

but – not enough petrol / gasoline ??

We had 10 liters of gasoline.


oh my god, Mahir … this is a true nightmare ..

I do not understand

so – you were on the boat – how many were you? – trying to reach Lesvos Island with 10 liters gasoline ….
when you write in Arabic – -it’s easier for me to understand .. start here again, please كان بعيد عنا ثم وصلنا المياه القليمه اليوناني وثم اتا الخفر السواحل اليونان مره اخرى and then?

هنا كان بعيد عن الخفر السواحل اليونان [ Here it was far from the coast guard of Greece]

وبعد نصف ساعه أتا مره آخر وعطونه البنزين وقالو ارجعو الى تركيا [ After half an hour, they came again,  and they gave me petrol and they said go back to Turkey]

ونحنا لم نقبل في الرجوع [ And we did not accept to return ]

كان يشتمون فينا وقالو لنا لم نساعدكم ونحنا نتوسل الئهم
[ They kept insulting us and told us we will not help you and we are begging them]

كان يلحقني الخفر السواحل اليونان [ I was followed by the Greek coast guard]

this was dangerous !! – no one had life jackets

  من ثم الخفر السواحل اليوناني اتصلو الى قارب حربي يوناني [ Then the Greek coastguard contacted a Greek warship]

this big boat … against you?


ونزلة قرب صغير كان في دخله ناس مسلحين واتئ إلينا وسحبوا السلاح إلينا وقطع الخيط المحرك وقالو لنا تدخلو الى اليونان [ And a little near a small group in which there were armed people who came towards us and pulled the weapon on us, cut the engine’s cable, and they warned us to enter Greece]

armed with guns?

نعم كانو مسلحين السلاح غريبه [ Yes, they were armed with a strange weapon]

what did you do then ?? what did the HCG / the armed ship do with you ?

هددونه بل قتل ان لم نرجع [ He threatened us with death if we did not return]

they said they will kill you, if you do not go back to Turkey ?

yes–

when you had been in Greek Waters … ?   this is a “push back“

yes
how many people were on your boat?

مايقدر 55 و 10 أطفال [ About 55 , 10 children]

لقد بقين في وسط البحر 12 ساعه لا طعام لا ماء سو السفن الحربيه والبحر وسماء الزرقاء لانعرف ماذا نفعل كنا خايفين كثير [ We stayed in the middle of the sea for 12 hours, no food, no water, the warships, the sea, and the blue sky. We did not know what to do. We were very afraid.]

من ثم ربطو الحبل في القرب وخذونا الئ المياه التركيا وبقينه في المياه التركيا ومن بعدها قاما الخفر السواحل التركي إنقاذنا [ Then they tied the rope around us and took us the pearls -?waves?- of the Turkish waters and remained in the Turkish waters, and after that the Turkish coast guard rescued us]

HCG pulled you back to Turkish waters with a rope? to let the Turkish rescue you .. ? for 12 hours they were watching you ??

yes
نعم لكن كان يوجد سفن حربي من اليمن ومن اليسار ونحنا في الوسط معا القرب الصغر الذي نزل من السفن الحربيه هوا من ربطو الحبل معنا وسحبنا الى المياه التركيا [ Yes, but there were warships from Yemen and the left, and we were in the middle together. The small proximity that came down from the warships was the one who tied the rope with us and dragged us to the Turkish waters.]

it was not the HCG, but a crew from the huge (Greek) warship that pulled you back to Turkey?

كان يوجد 9 سفن معا سفن تركيا [ There were 9 ships together, ships of Turkey]

كان الناتو موجود [NATO was there]

and you in the middle .. this is SCARY …

كان مثلا كرة القدم تركيا تقول اذهبوا واليونان يقول ارجعوا [like playing football; Turkey saying Go and Greece saying Go Back] 

what happended after the Turkish rescued you? where did they take you? did you know the other people on the boat? how many of the 55 +10 children are your family? was there one ‘Boss’ on the boat? someone who knows how to handle a boat?

عائلتي كانو 8 وكان معنا مايقرب 45 شخصا [my family was 8, and we were about 45 people]
اخذونا الى الميناء [they took us to the port]
كانت زوجتي حامل [ My wife was pregnant ]
من الخوف أسعفوها الى المشفى وبقت اسبوع في المشفى [ Out of fear, I took her to the hospital, and she stayed for a week] كان الطفل بخير الحمد لله [the child was fine, thank God]
نعم كان لكن لايعرف شئ [ Yes there was – a boss- , but he does not know anything]

which port, do you know the name?
لا للأسف لم أعرف الى اين كنا متوجهين [ No, unfortunately, I did not know where we were heading]

Mahir is a refugee from Syria, 23 years, a tailor –
along with his family – his wife Marwa, his parents Fadela and Ahmed,
his brothers Radwan 8 , Imran 10, and Ali 15 years
they managed to flee Syrian war, their hometown being  under siege. Marwa’s father and other family members fled to Germany
Mahir and Marwa have one son, Ahmed, 2 years; their second child will be born in Jan 2021
the family now lives in the province Muğla / Turkey; they all share a tiny place on the farm Mahir works for.