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About 3,500 Turkmen from northern Syria have crossed the border to take refuge in Turkey amid clashes between rebels said to belong to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in the town of al-Bab in Aleppo province.
The influx of Syrian Turkmen began on Tuesday when clashes began between FSA groups and ISIL, the private Doğan news agency reported on Wednesday. More Syrians were fleeing the area to take refuge in Turkey, said Doğan.
The fleeing Turkmen are allowed to cross into Turkey after undergoing security procedures at a gendarmerie checkpoint on the border in the district of Elbeyli in Kilis province. The governor of Elbeyli along with officials from the Kilis Governor's Office and the Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) have been overseeing efforts to make sure the procedure of admitting the Turkmen proceeds without problems.
The Turkmen were first sent to a container city in Kilis for Syrian refugees but authorities later began to transfer them to other camps in the neighboring provinces of Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa. Those who want to return to Syria as soon as the clashes subside have been given temporary accommodation in nearby schools and dormitories.
Doğan said some FSA members injured in the clashes were also brought into Turkey for treatment at Kilis State Hospital. Scores of people were killed during clashes on the Syrian side of the border, according to Doğan, although no exact figure was provided.
Residents in Elbeyli have also become alarmed by the frightening sounds of gunfire and explosions from across the border. Authorities have been warning residents to stay indoors as a measure against possible stray bullets from the Syrian side.
Military deployment on the border
Intense clashes between ISIL and other rebel groups have prompted Turkey to step up security measures along the Syrian border. As part of the increased measures, armored vehicles dispatched from a military base in Gaziantep have been deployed along the border, and military patrols on the border have also been increased.
ISIL and an alliance of rival rebel groups, including Islamist groups from the powerful Islamic Front as well as more moderate groups reportedly associated with the Western-backed FSA, began a deadly fight at the start of January. About 1,400 people are believed to have been killed in clashes mostly taking place in northern Syria.
Last week, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri appealed to rival Islamic groups in Syria to end the three weeks of deadly infighting, telling them to set aside their bitter dispute and instead focus on battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
ISIL originally cooperated as an effective and powerful ally with other rebel groups in their fight against Assad forces, but has become increasingly unpopular since it began to capture territory from other rebels. The al-Qaeda-linked group has seized several towns near the border with Turkey in the course of the three-week infighting.
Thousands of Turkmen flee to Turkey amid ISIL-rebel clashes - CİHAN
Welcome to your Homeland.
The influx of Syrian Turkmen began on Tuesday when clashes began between FSA groups and ISIL, the private Doğan news agency reported on Wednesday. More Syrians were fleeing the area to take refuge in Turkey, said Doğan.
The fleeing Turkmen are allowed to cross into Turkey after undergoing security procedures at a gendarmerie checkpoint on the border in the district of Elbeyli in Kilis province. The governor of Elbeyli along with officials from the Kilis Governor's Office and the Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) have been overseeing efforts to make sure the procedure of admitting the Turkmen proceeds without problems.
The Turkmen were first sent to a container city in Kilis for Syrian refugees but authorities later began to transfer them to other camps in the neighboring provinces of Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa. Those who want to return to Syria as soon as the clashes subside have been given temporary accommodation in nearby schools and dormitories.
Doğan said some FSA members injured in the clashes were also brought into Turkey for treatment at Kilis State Hospital. Scores of people were killed during clashes on the Syrian side of the border, according to Doğan, although no exact figure was provided.
Residents in Elbeyli have also become alarmed by the frightening sounds of gunfire and explosions from across the border. Authorities have been warning residents to stay indoors as a measure against possible stray bullets from the Syrian side.
Military deployment on the border
Intense clashes between ISIL and other rebel groups have prompted Turkey to step up security measures along the Syrian border. As part of the increased measures, armored vehicles dispatched from a military base in Gaziantep have been deployed along the border, and military patrols on the border have also been increased.
ISIL and an alliance of rival rebel groups, including Islamist groups from the powerful Islamic Front as well as more moderate groups reportedly associated with the Western-backed FSA, began a deadly fight at the start of January. About 1,400 people are believed to have been killed in clashes mostly taking place in northern Syria.
Last week, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri appealed to rival Islamic groups in Syria to end the three weeks of deadly infighting, telling them to set aside their bitter dispute and instead focus on battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
ISIL originally cooperated as an effective and powerful ally with other rebel groups in their fight against Assad forces, but has become increasingly unpopular since it began to capture territory from other rebels. The al-Qaeda-linked group has seized several towns near the border with Turkey in the course of the three-week infighting.
Thousands of Turkmen flee to Turkey amid ISIL-rebel clashes - CİHAN
Welcome to your Homeland.
