About 650 Syrians, including a defecting brigadier general, have fled to Turkey in the past 24 hours amid the escalating violence in Syria, a Turkish official said on Saturday.
The latest group brought the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey to 46,000, said the official, who requested anonymity.
The official declined to give the exact number of defected generals currently in Turkey, saying that some had been going back across the border to join in the fight against Bashar al-Assad's regime.
They are estimated to be more than 20.
Senior Syrian officers have been crossing into Turkey to link up with the rebel Free Syrian Army on a near daily basis in recent months, often accompanied by rank-and-file troops.
In addition to taking in refugees, Turkey is also sheltering Syrian military defectors in a separate camp near the border where security is tighter.
Short link: