At least 9,400 Syrian refugees crossed into southern Turkey in the past week, local media reported Monday.

After the influx of the refugees, Hatay Governor M. Celalettin Lekesiz inspected Cilvegozu border gate in Hatay Province in southern Turkey with the country's security authorities.

Turkey has a 910-km-long border with Syria, and is sheltering half a million Syrian refugees who fled the war-torn neighboring country. It has set up nearly two dozen camps for over 200,000 Syrian refugees, while about 300,000 Syrian refugees live on their own mostly in border cities in southern and southeastern Turkey.

As the United States weighs a military intervention in Syria, Ankara is preparing for a massive influx of Syrian refugees soon, while UN estimations said the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey may reach one million by the end of this year.

Turkey, once an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but now a leading voice urging his ouster, has reportedly provided Syrian rebel army leaders with sanctuary.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2013)