ALTINOZU, Turkey — U.N. envoy Angelina Jolie traveled to Turkey’s border with Syria today, sharing fruit and desserts with some of the thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled their government’s bloody crackdown.
The Hollywood celebrity and goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees arrived in the Turkish province of Hatay on a private jet with boxes of toys for the refugee camps.
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Jolie spent 2½ hours with the refugees, asking how they were in Arabic and then speaking with them through an interpreter, Turkey’s NTV television reported. It said she took notes, showing particular interest in the women and children.
Nearly 10,000 Syrians have sought refuge in camps in Turkey.
Protests first erupted in Syria in mid-March as part of the “Arab Spring” push toward democracy. Syrian President Bashar Assad responded by unleashing the military to crush the street demonstrations. Human rights activists say more than 1,400 Syrians have been killed and 10,000 detained.
Turkish television showed Jolie disembarking from the plane in sunglasses at Hatay airport. She then headed to a camp in the Turkish town of Altinozu.
Turkish authorities hoisted a 45-foot-long (15-meter) banner near the entrance of the refugee camp to welcome Jolie. It read: “Goodness Angel of the World, Welcome” in English and Turkish.
Police kept fans away from the actress at Hatay’s airport and cameras were removed from rooftops and high points.
One fan held a poster that read: “Angelina, kiss me for world peace.”
In April, Jolie traveled to Tunisia during its refugee crisis as thousands fled from its war-torn neighbor, Libya.
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