Syrians fleeing fighting back home have taken up shelter at this closed border crossing as they wait to be allowed into Turkey.

It could be some time, however, now that Ankara, which is already dealing with 80,000 refugees, has started shutting down checkpoints.

There is no running water at Bab al-Salam border cross and food is scarce.

Still, many here say they've exhausted all of their options.

SOUNDBITE: Syrian refugee saying:

"If you go outside, you see snipers, helicopters. If we go to cities, there are attacks. If we go to villages, there are also attacks there. Bashar al-Assad left us hesitating about what to do."

The president has managed to stay in power despite an insurgency that has raged for more than a year.

The northern Syrian city of Azaz --- one of many reduced to rubble after almost daily attacks by government forces.