World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkish dailies on Wednesday mainly covered Syrian refugees’ march to the Turkey-Greece border, PKK attacks plus Galatasaray’s Champions League defeat to Spain’s Atletico Madrid.

“Exodus on the highway,” was HURRIYET’s headline, reporting that thousands of Syrian refugees living in Turkey began marching toward Edirne, a northwestern province bordering Greece, to cross into the European Union.

“They are walking a 240-kilometer-long road, yearning to reach Europe. Babies crying due to thirst and hunger, barefoot children, women and elderly people… They share the same statement: ‘We wait until the border opens. We will never return’,” HURRIYET reported.

Turkish papers claimed the long walk between Istanbul and Edirne was triggered by a rumor on social media that Germany would take in thousands of refugees.

That rumor caused hundreds of Syrian refugees to gather in Istanbul’s central bus station; unable to buy a ticket to Edirne, many of them began walking westwards.

“[We] Don’t want to drown,” was MILLIYET’s headline, reporting that Syrian refugees hit the highways instead of taking their chances on the Aegean Sea to reach Greek soil.

Syrian refugees talking to MILLIYET said they did not want to die at sea, appealing to the authorities to let them cross into the EU.

The daily also reported at least 22 people including eight children and 11 women drowned after a boat sank early Tuesday in the Aegean Sea off Turkey's southwestern Mugla coast.

The daily reported that the Turkish Coast Guard Command rescued 249 people.

“Migration to unknown,” was STAR’s headline while “This time, by highway” was CUMHURIYET’s.

Many dailies also reported on recent PKK attacks as well.

“5 [policemen] martyred,” was HABERTURK’s headline, reporting on roadside bomb attacks in Hakkari and Mardin, both southeastern provinces.

MILLIYET published a story on children living in Cizre town, located in southeastern Sirnak province, which was under curfew last week as Turkish security forces launched anti-terrorist operations to counter PKK attacks.

Children said they wanted to play on streets but could not do so because of planted bombs and trenches.

“We saw bombs exploding in our dreams. We live in fear,” 9-year-old Muhammed Abut told MILLIYET.

Meanwhile, Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation into Dogan Media Group for allegedly spreading “terrorist propaganda”.

YENI SAFAK said the prosecutor’s office in Istanbul’s Bakırkoy district has launched an investigation into the group due to some news run by Dogan media outlets.

HURRIYET, a daily part of Dogan media group, reported that political figures from opposition parties criticized the probe.

Bulent Tezcan, deputy chairman of Republican People’s Party, or CHP, reacted against the probe, saying that the accusation of terrorist propaganda was “shameful”.

In sports news, Turkish dailies reported that Istanbul football club Galatasaray lost 0-2 against Spain's Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League group stage game late on Tuesday.

A sports daily, FANATIK, wrote: “Frustration again.”

FANATIK said following successive bad results in the Turkish league, Galatasaray faced defeat in the Champions League.

“A bad start,” was HURRIYET’s headline while CUMHURIYET wrote: “Galatasaray crushed.”