Syrians flee intense fighting between Kurdish fighters and ISIS militants by pushing through a hole in a border fence to enter Turkish territory illegally, near the border crossing at Akcakale in Sanliurfa province on Sunday. Turkey said it was taking measures to limit the flow of Syrian refugees onto its territory after an influx of thousands over the last days due to fighting between Kurds and jihadists.
Syrians flee intense fighting between Kurdish fighters and ISIS militants by pushing through a hole in a border fence to enter Turkish territory illegally, near the border crossing at Akcakale in Sanliurfa province on Sunday. Turkey said it was taking measures to limit the flow of Syrian refugees onto its territory after an influx of thousands over the last days due to fighting between Kurds and jihadists.
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A crowd presses together as they struggle to cross through and over the broken border fence. The flow of refugees increased as Kurdish fighters closed in on the ISIS-held town of Tal Abyad, on the opposite side of the border to Akcakale.
A crowd presses together as they struggle to cross through and over the broken border fence. The flow of refugees increased as Kurdish fighters closed in on the ISIS-held town of Tal Abyad, on the opposite side of the border to Akcakale.
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A child is lifted over the fence. AFP photographer Bulent Kilic, who was at the crossing, described the scene as unprecedented in his years of covering the conflict. "They just came inside with their children, with their babies. I can say it's incredible," he told CNN.
A child is lifted over the fence. AFP photographer Bulent Kilic, who was at the crossing, described the scene as unprecedented in his years of covering the conflict. "They just came inside with their children, with their babies. I can say it's incredible," he told CNN.
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A man climbs over the fence as others force their way through a hole in the fencing. "Thousands of them came inside in an illegal way. They broke down the fences and they came inside," Kilic told CNN.
A man climbs over the fence as others force their way through a hole in the fencing. "Thousands of them came inside in an illegal way. They broke down the fences and they came inside," Kilic told CNN.
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Syrians fleeing fighting in Tal Abyad ask for water as they gather at a border crossing on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey. "I haven't seen any refugees coming like this before in four years," said Kilic.
Syrians fleeing fighting in Tal Abyad ask for water as they gather at a border crossing on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey. "I haven't seen any refugees coming like this before in four years," said Kilic.
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A man crosses through the fence carrying a baby. Under an "open-door" policy, Turkey has taken in 1.8 million refugees since the conflict in Syria erupted in 2011.
A man crosses through the fence carrying a baby. Under an "open-door" policy, Turkey has taken in 1.8 million refugees since the conflict in Syria erupted in 2011.
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A young girl is helped in crossing a ditch near the border. Photographer Bulent Kilic told CNN that the Turkish military initially fired warning shots in the air as the refugees tried to cross, but then "they didn't do anything. They took all the people, let's say thousands of them, inside Turkey."
A young girl is helped in crossing a ditch near the border. Photographer Bulent Kilic told CNN that the Turkish military initially fired warning shots in the air as the refugees tried to cross, but then "they didn't do anything. They took all the people, let's say thousands of them, inside Turkey."
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A man carries a young girl as they flee through the broken border fence to enter Turkey.
A man carries a young girl as they flee through the broken border fence to enter Turkey.
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
A Syrian woman cries after an airstrike hit the eastern part of Tal Abyad, Syria, as thousands massed at the nearby border crossing to escape escalating fighting.
A Syrian woman cries after an airstrike hit the eastern part of Tal Abyad, Syria, as thousands massed at the nearby border crossing to escape escalating fighting.
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
A boy is helped as he climbs over the border fence.
A boy is helped as he climbs over the border fence.
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
People push their way through a hole in the fence.
People push their way through a hole in the fence.
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images
ISIS militants on the Syrian side of the border turned the fleeing migrants back to Tal Abyad before the migrants later returned and broke through the border fence. Kilic told CNN: "They shout at people to go to Tal Abyad. Then they turn to us and they smile at us... this was a kind of a show, a kind of message."
ISIS militants on the Syrian side of the border turned the fleeing migrants back to Tal Abyad before the migrants later returned and broke through the border fence. Kilic told CNN: "They shout at people to go to Tal Abyad. Then they turn to us and they smile at us... this was a kind of a show, a kind of message."
BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images