Syrians crossing into Turkey over 17,000

HATAY (AA) - The number of Syrian people who have fled from their country due to internal clashes and crossed into Turkey went over 17,000 on Friday. Turkish Foreign Ministry executives said that almost 200 more Syrians crossed into Turkey on Thursday. "Thus, the number of Syrian people staying in Turkey rise to 17,200," executives said. Some of the Syrians have been placed in tent-sites in the southern province of Hatay, and majority of them have been taken to the tent-sites in Islahiye town of the southeastern province of Gaziantep. Moreover, almost 300 Syrians returned to their country. The wave of "Arab Spring" reached Syria on March 15, 2011 and Syrian people started to protest the government in a small southern city. The government responded with heavy-handed force, and demonstrations quickly spread across much of the country. Thousands of people are reported to be killed in ongoing protests in Syria so far. Syria was expelled from the Arab League after it agreed to a peace plan only to step up attacks on protesters. In late 2011 and early 2012, Syria agreed to allow league observers into the country. But their presence did nothing to slow the violence. In February, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on the uprising, but China and Russia have blocked all efforts by the United Nations, the Arab League and others for a more forceful intervention. In November 2011, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu unveiled a list of nine sanctions on Syria.