Around 10,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey

GUVECCI: The number of Syrians who have taken refuge in Turkey to escape bloody unrest in their country has increased to about 10,100, Anatolia news agency reported on Saturday.

The figure went up after another 421 Syrians, mostly women and children, arrived at tent cities that the Turkish Red Crescent has erected in the border province of Hatay, Anatolia said.

Turkish authorities have barred all outside access to the refugees accommodated in the camps.

According to officials, the Syrians are given three meals a day, medical care, hot water, and access to household equipment like washing machines and televisions.

Hollywood superstar Angeline Jolie visited one of the camps Friday in her capacity as goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey would keep its borders open to Syrians fleeing the violence and supply humanitarian aid to the thousands of people massed just across the border in Syria itself.

Many come from Jisr al-Shughur, a flashpoint of the anti-government uprising 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Turkish border that was pounded by Syrian regime troops.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011