Turkish refugee living in Edmonton forced to leave family behind again

A Turkish refugee who left Edmontonlast month to rescue his family has been forced to leave them behind again.

Theman returned to the region he fled just over ayear agoin the hopes of bringing back his wife and young children.

On Monday, he returned without them.

CBC is not identifying the family, or their location,for security reasons.

• Edmonton father who fled Turkey leaves on overseas mission to rescue family
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"I felt so guilty," the man told CBC News Thursday, speaking through a translator. "Because I'm going to a safe country and leaving them in a very hard-to-live place."

The man is part of theGulenmovement a group accused by authorities of orchestrating Turkey's deadly attempted coup in July 2016.

Gulenmembers, whose leader Fethullah Gulen was once a close ally of PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan,deny the allegation.

Feared family's arrest

A sweeping crackdown has jailedtens of thousands of people including journalists, human rights activists,military officers,judges, lawyers, academics and opposition politicians.

The Edmonton man worried his family, too, would soon be be taken into custody.

He fled last year after being tipped off to his own arrest. He's one of hundreds of Turkish refugees across Canada who are now living apartfrom their families.

• Turkish refugees in Canada say family members trapped, stranded overseas
• Turkey purges thousands of workers on eve of failed coup anniversary
• Destiny, duty and democracy: Turkey a year after the failed coup

Recently, the man arranged for his wife and children to flee the country. Last month, they all reunited in theregion. He hopedhis permanent residency would be approved during the tripso they could all return toCanada.

Instead, his time overseas was fraught with heartache, frustration and danger.

Turned away from embassy

Their reunion was filled with hugs and tears when he arrived. But his youngest child looked at him as if he was a stranger and shied away,he said.

He traveled to Amman, Jordan, after an email from the office ofEdmonton MP RandyBoissonnault informed him he couldapply for his family's Temporary Resident Permits at Canadian embassies in the region.

That's where border police stopped him, he said,because of an arrest warrant by Turkish authorities.Fearing extradition, the manexplained he was a protected refugee in Canada, and pulledout the document to prove it. Six hours later they let him go.

At that point his luck ran out. He visited the embassy five days in a row, he said,only to be turned away each time. When he returned to his wife and children, he had to break the news.

"It killed our motivation to keep going," he said.

Last week, the man's visa ran out and he knew hehad no choice. Staying in the region would jeopardize his own status and his family's future in Canada, he said.

Back in Edmonton, he's racked with worry about his family's situation, living illegally in an insecure country. They have no health care and little access to power or clean water.

His wife's parting words weigh heavily on his mind: "Please save us from here."

His supportershave written toImmigration Minister Ahmed Hussenand contacted the Edmonton offices of both Boissonnaultand Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi.

They continue to press the government to expedite the man's residency application.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada was not immediately able to provide comment.

andrea.huncar@cbc.ca @andreahuncar