Turkey: Thousands of Syrian refugees cross border to escape fighting

Thousands of Syrian refugees crossed the Akcakale border to escape from the fighting between the Islamic State (IS) and Kurdish forces, Monday. Turkish authorities re-opened the border after days of closure, going back on its previous decision to only permit refugees in case of a humanitarian crisis. While many men, women and children queued to cross at the official gates in Akcakale, others despaired and pushed their way through the fence or climbed over it. Soldiers responded to the scramble by using water cannons and tear gas against the refugees. For those waiting in line security forces threw water bottles, as temperatures soared to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degree Fahrenheit). More than 1.8 million people have fled to Turkey since fighting in Syria escalated in 2011. According to the Turkish government €4.8 billion ($5.5 billion) have been spent in order to support Syrian refugees and it accuses the west of not providing enough assistance in this crisis.