ANKARA
Syrians in Turkey entered a bitter but "hopeful" new year.
The AA team spent new years with Syrians who took shelter in Turkey and live in the tent cities in southern Turkey. Trying to cling to life with Turkey's helping hand, they all wish and pray to go back to their country one day and live in peace there.
Syrians told AA correspondent that they had a hard year but would not forget what Turkey had been doing for them. One of them said Turkish government met all their needs and Turkey became their family and home.
The biggest wish of the residents of the tent cities is the war to end and to return their homes in 2013.
12-year-old Ismail Haci Musa, who came from Syria with his parents and two-year-old sibling, said that it was their second year in Turkey.
Musa stated that he was very sad to be away from his homeland, and added that he loved Turkey and learned Turkish in six months at the school opened in the tent city.
Musa reminisced that they used to spend new years eve by playing games in Syria and his father used to buy gifts for them.
Syrians living in the tent cities said that they would accept the day when Assad leaves Syria as new years.
They added that while there was war and sorrow in their homeland they could not celebrate new years in joy.
Meanwhile, a fire erupted in a tent in Syria's Atme town, close to Turkey border, leaving 5 children dead from the same family.
Writing by Esra Kirecci & Birgul Anda
Editing by Metin Semiz
