Many Iranians have been seen at border crossings and transportation hubs in Türkiye -- which shares a 569-kilometer border with Iran -- either rushing to reunite with family in Iran or fleeing the conflict-hit country.
With its visa-free policy allowing Iranians to stay up to 90 days, Türkiye has become a key destination for those escaping the tensions between Iran and Israel.
At the Kapikoy border crossing in Türkiye's eastern province of Van, anxious Iranians have begun arriving.
"My daughter studied here, so I had come once before. But this time I had no choice but to come. I came because I was afraid of the war. I didn't really want to come. I have children too, and I'm truly scared. I haven't slept at all for three nights. People have been really panicking. Tehran was really bad. The situation is not good at all," said an Iranian named Kirmizi Ortulu Kadin, who entered Türkiye at Van.
"Yesterday around this time, I was at work, in District 3 of Tehran. It was announced that Tehran should be evacuated, that it was going to be bombed tonight. So we had no choice but to pack up our things and come here to Van for now. Whenever things settle down, we'll go back and return to our work and lives," said Sarisin Kadin, another Iranian citizen entering Türkiye at the border crossing.
Meanwhile, in Istanbul, some Iranians were seen boarding buses to Türkiye's eastern provinces, hoping to return home from there.
"A blast occurred right in the area where I live, and it caused destruction. Even though Tehran Airport is closed today, I'm going back by bus. In a situation like this, being in my own country is very important to me," said an Iranian woman waiting for her bus to go back to Iran.
"We arrived about 10 days ago and were planning to stay another 20 days. But we're returning to our homeland. And if we can, we're going back to help our country. Because that is our homeland," an Iranian man said before boarding a bus.
As tensions mount between Iran and Israel following the latest round of missile strikes, the impact is already being felt in the region. While analysts warn of a potential refugee influx if tensions persist, Turkish officials say there's been no major movement for now.
Iranians rush to Türkiye border amid conflict as some flee, others return home
Iranians rush to Türkiye border amid conflict as some flee, others return home
Iranians rush to Türkiye border amid conflict as some flee, others return home
From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.
At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.
Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.
"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.
"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.
Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.
According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.
Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.
Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.
At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.
"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.
At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.
"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.
Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction
