Turkey has 'reached capacity' to take in refugees, deputy PM says

Tens of thousands of Syrians have made their way to the Turkish border. Credit: Reuters

Turkey has "reached the end of its capacity to absorb" refugees, the country's deputy prime minister has said.

Authorities say up to 35,000 Syrians have made their way to the border following a fresh government onslaught on Aleppo in recent days.

Numan Kurtulmus said some 15,000 refugees from Syria were admitted in the past few days, with a further 30,000 refugees being cared for on the other side of the border.

The governor of the Turkish border province of Kilis said that Turkey would only open the gates in the event of an "extraordinary crisis."

The European Union has urged Turkey to open its borders arguing that Turkey has both a moral and legal duty to help genuine asylum seekers.