Turkey Expects 50 000 Syrian Refugees to Arrive from Aleppo

An image made available 27 February 2014 showing civilians walking by a building destroyed by government launched barrel bomb strikes in the Aleppo neighbourhood of Ansari, Aleppo, Syria, 26 February 2014. Photo by EPA/BGNES

According to Turkish security sources, 50 000 Syrian refugees from Aleppo are expected to cross into the country due to the recent surge of violence in the region.

Russian airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) have targeted the southern and eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo, while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched a land operation near the city.

The military actions are expected to cause more people to flee the city, their number expected to reach 350 000 by the weekend if the airstrikes continue.

Syrian Turkmen Assembly President Abdurrahman Mustafa confirmed that 50 000 people had left the city and were heading towards Turkey, Hurriyet Daily informs.

According to him, the migration of Turkmen, who are located in the rural and northern parts of the city, will be larger when the government forces reach Aleppo.

Turkmens inhabiting one of the neighbourhoods are fighting on three fronts as they are stuck between the government forces, Russia and IS.

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