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Turkey fears new influx of up to 600,000 refugees

The fierce fighting in Aleppo could see a wave of 600,000 Syrian refugees fleeing to the border of Turkey, the country's deputy prime minister has warned.

Turkey has been urged to let in tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who are trapped at its border in freezing conditions after fleeing fighting and bombing in the city of Aleppo.

The German chancellor Angela Merkel is due in Ankara today for talks with the Turkish government on Syria and the refugee crisis.

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Tens of thousands 'still on their way' to Turkey-Syria border

A Syrian woman carries her belongings on her head at a refugee camp near the Bab al-Al Salam crossing. Credit: Reuters

Around 35,000 Syrian refugees have arrived at the Turkish border near Kilis in the last 48 hours, a Turkish official has said amid warnings that tens of thousands more people may still be on their way to the frontier between the two countries.

Kilis governor Suleyman Tapsiz said the recent arrivals were being provided with food and blankets while accommodated in camps at the Syrian side of the border, adding that another 70,000 could be expected if Russian airstrikes and advances by the Syrian regime continued.

He told reporters that while the border was not closed, "at the moment there is no need to host such people inside our borders".

Speaking at around the same time, Turkey's foreign minister said the border between his country and Syria was still open, claiming that people needed to flee because Russian airstrikes were hitting "schools, hospitals and civilians".

He added that a further 55,000 people could be expected to arrive at the border in the coming days.

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Turkey fears new influx of up to 600,000 refugees

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