Fear and anguish for Syrians fleeing to Turkey

At the crack of dawn, Fatima roused her son Nafissa from a deep sleep. If all went according to plan, they could be in Turkey within hours, safe from the violence that has haunted them for weeks.
As preparations for the journey were made, another son, Ali, played nearby. His parents packed what little they brought with them into plastics bags and got ready to leave the safe house where they spent the night.
"I am taking my family far from Syria," said Ahmad bin Habib, lighting a cigarette.
"I give up. I can't carry on fighting."
The 30-year-old father managed to flee with his family from the restive northern city of Edleb, which fell to government forces earlier this month after a withering assault.
"The soldiers surrounded the city. We couldn't escape at night," he recalled.
"They started shooting at us, but thank God we escaped. We have spent several days staying with friends and today we will cross the border," he added.
"We left because we were afraid," he said, recalling the horrific scenes he witnessed in Edleb.
The journey began at 7:00 am. Four men were waiting outside the house to drive the family to the Turkish border, to join the 17,000 Syrian refugees that Turkey said have already crossed over.
The luggage is placed in a trunk and as they depart, the driver, a member of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), inquired by walkie-talkie about the state of the route.
"Everything is clear, all the way to the destination," a crackly voice replied.
The convoy headed off from Sardana, carrying the fugitives to a location 15 kilometers from Syria's northern frontier, but they must cover the second leg of the route on foot.
The cars hurtled along at top speed, bypassing the rebel barricades, under the envious watch of villagers at the roadside.
Finally they stopped at an olive grove, where four other rebels were waiting in the shade. The walk began, but the going was slow and tiring.
A huge red Turkish flag was now visible in the distance, towering above a small army barracks that sits in the middle of the plain.
After an hour, the group arrived at the border crossing.
One of the rebels made a phone call, as the others waited nervously.
Two of them then crossed the border, saluting the Turkish captain.
Then the others crossed one by one, after their bags had been inspected. The mother and her youngest were the last to arrive.

-AFP/NOW Lebanon