Smugglers, father on dock

The father of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler whose drowning shocked the world last year, went on trial on Thursday along with two alleged people smugglers accused of causing the death of migrants. Aylan's mother and brother also died in the same accident.

The trial of the two Syrian nationals opened at the criminal court in the western Turkish resort of Bodrum, the Dogan news agency reported. If convicted, they face up to 35 years in jail.  But also on trial in absentia was Aylan Kurdi's father, Abdullah Kurdi, who survived the sinking of the boat.

Both of the defendants in court strongly incriminated Abdullah as a well-known organiser of people smuggling, accusing him of being responsible for the deaths and driving the boat at the time of the disaster. But Dogan said the court had decided to drop the legal proceedings against Abdullah Kurdi, without specifying further.