Turkey Blocks Humanitarian Aid to Syria’s Kobani Amid Siege

Turkish authorities halted a humanitarian aid convoy destined for Kobani in northern Syria, refusing it entry at the border. The predominantly Kurdish city—surrounded by Syrian government forces—remains without water, food, or electricity. Twenty-five trucks carrying water, milk, baby formula, and blankets, assembled in Diyarbakir, were denied passage through the Mursitpinar border crossing, directly opposite Kobani. Though Turkey claims aid can enter via the more distant Oncupinar crossing (181 km away), aid groups and DEM party MP Adalat Kaya argue this risks diversion and delays. A recent agreement between Damascus and Syrian Kurds on gradual integration of Kurdish forces into the Syrian state has not eased access. NGOs and Turkish opposition parties—including CHP—have jointly urged reopening Mursitpinar to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.