Two men accused of people smuggling in the case involving the death of two-year-old Syrian migrant Alan Kurdi have pointed the finger at a third man — Abdullah Kurdi, Alan's father.

Muwafaka Alabash and Asem Alfrhad, both Syrian nationals, claim Abdullah Kurdi was the mastermind behind the ill fated journey — and they say those who survived the trip will agree.

The raft carrying the Syrian migrants overturned while attempting to get from Turkey to the Greek island of Kos, resulting in the deaths of Kurdi's wife and two young sons, including Alan.

The image of the little boy's lifeless body lying on a Mediterranean beach last September sparked global outrage and brought worldwide attention to the crisis in the Middle East.

The trial of Alabash and Alfrhad began yesterday in the Turkish city of Bodrum. The two men face up to 35 years in prison each if convicted of the charges of human smuggling and causing the deaths of five people through "deliberate negligence."

Addullah's sister Tima Kurdi, lives in Coquitlam, B.C., and welcomed her other brother, his wife and their five children as refugees to Canada in late December.