As violence escalates, nearly 450 Syrians flee to Turkey

Some 448 Syrians fleeing clashes in their country crossed the border with Turkey yesterday after thousands abandoned a town near the Turkish border, fearing a military assault. The refugee crossings began in the morning and continued throughout the day. The latest group of 97 refugees arrived in Turkey last night, the Anatolia news agency reported. The refugees were taken to the border town of Hatay, to a tent city set up by the Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay), swelling its population to over 650. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) earlier said that many more Syrians may make the trip to Turkey if unrest escalates in Jisr al-Shughour, where clashes between government forces and protesters have killed scores. Turkey said its borders are open to Syrian refugees and urged Damascus to curb violence against civilians. "We are monitoring developments in Syria with concern," said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Syria should change its attitude towards civilians and take a more tolerant attitude." He added, "It is out of the question for Turkey to close its doors to refugees coming from Syria."