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Charlene Gubash / NBC News
Emin Belgin, a truck driver (second from right), enjoys a rare peaceful evening at a sidewalk cafe in Akcakale, Turkey. The city is located seven miles from the Syrian border.
AKCAKALE, Turkey -- The residents of a Turkish town allowed themselves to relax a little even as they mourned neighbors killed after a mortar from across the border in Syria slammed into a house, killing two women and three children.
"We couldn't sleep the last 10 days. We covered our ears in fear. Today was quiet for the first time -- nothing happened," cotton farmer Ussein Avsar told NBC News as he sat at an outdoor café.
Avsar says he can now return to his fields, which are just two miles from the Syrian border.
Wednesday’s deaths came amid escalating violence in the area. Mortars have been landing on Akcakale, a town of 40,000, since September when rebels seized the Syrian side of the border from President Bashar Assad's forces, who have been shelling the area ever since.
Syrian rebels seize border crossing to Turkey
The attack was the most serious escalation of tensions between the two neighbors since Syrian forces shot down a Turkish fighter jet in June. It highlighted the rising risks of a broader conflict as Assad's 18-month crackdown on armed rebels continues.
NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from the Turkey Syria border where small farming communities take the brunt of spillover violence, making life unbearable.
Up and down the 560-mile border, Turks were already growing increasingly frustrated at the violence spilling into their towns and villages and at the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who are now sheltering on Turkish soil.
Stray bullets and mortar rounds have also struck Syria’s other neighbors, Jordan, Lebanon and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Syrians sought refuge in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq.
UN Security Council condemns Syria shelling of Turkey
And finally, some say, Turkey has moved to defend them from the violence spilling over the border. On Thursday, Turkey’s parliament approved future retaliation, and Turkish leaders expanded their options for dealing with Syria.
SANA via Reuters
A look back at the violence that has overtaken the country
"It was a very good decision," Avsar said.
Friend Emin Belgin, a truck driver, said he wished his government had acted sooner.
Photos: Turkish soldiers secure border with Syria
"We couldn't sleep for the last two weeks. All the children were terrified. And the world looked at the Turks as cowards," he said. "They should have done it before the five people were killed."
Turkey has authorized further military action against Syria saying it is intended to be a deterrent and to protect Turkey. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
Still, confidence is already seeping back into Akcakale.
Aleppo explosions kill at least 40, Syria activists say
Young boys shout and laugh as they swing in the town playground late into the night. Their schools closed during the bouts of shelling but will reopen in a few days. And residents who had evacuated began returning to their homes as soon as the parliament authorized military action inside Syria.
But the dark clouds will continue to gather over Syria’s borders as long as the conflict there, which activists say has already killed 30,000 people, rages on.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Its very funny that the flag flying on the border in that picture above , is the terrorists flag , ( Sorry Hillary's freedom fighters flag ) , one mortar shell fell from Syria , could it be the thugs Shell , could it be the thugs that the Turks and the US training in Turkey and the Saudis and Qataris financing , could it be that the Turks feel like their thugs are getting the hell beat of them in Syria , and they want to create another safe zone for them , you can ask Hillary , McCain , Lieberman and Graham about that , they are pretty much involved on all that mess , trying to get Turkey which wants so bad to get into Syria and protect their thugs and NATO's and the Saudis and Qataris thugs , Its a Freaking shame that we and the whole Fing corrupt world countries jump all over Syria , for a shell that nobody knows who fired it , and the Syrian are the last country on earth that benefit from it , But not one sorry ass country condemn the bombing and killing of innocent people in Syria , even though the Alqaida brigades that belong to our best Friends the Saudis announced their responsibility for all these bombing , Why do we demand and make sure every country in the world condemn these acts when it happens to us or our so called Allies , But its OK for the Syrian people to die on the hand of these terrorists , are they only terrorists when they attack us and they are good guys when they attack countries that we do not like , for a reason God only knows . Just like the Iranians scientists were killed and the bombing in Iraq ,which hell these bombing got worse after we invaded that country , Alqaida got stronger there , Just saying ???????
Operating a cafe in Turkey can't be very profitable. Not one of the customers sitting at the tables has food or drink.
That's what you noticed?Maybe their orders haven't arrived yet?
YA because they probably part of these Muslims brother hood and Alqaida thugs , all what they care about is killing innocent civilians .
Funny that no one has a problem when Turkey retaliates, but when Israel does...
You know what , I had enough with Israel BS and Turkey's BS , they are two countries that sponsor terrorists and they are our Allies , Turkey have been arming and training these thugs in Syria with the help of the US ( ASK HILLARY , MCCAIN , LIEBERMAN AND GRAHAM ) these thugs are killing the Christians in Syria and destroying every thing Syria have , Israel and the Palestinians are the cause of problems in the world since back in Jesus days , I hope both of them go to hell , we will in much better world , Turkey does not mind going into Iraq chasing the Kurds and bombing the hell of them , and nobody Says anything , not even that FING terrorists organization called the UN , but Syria fighting all these Alqaida and ,Muslims brother hood coming from Turkey bases , and now they are fabricating all this BS , because their thugs are losing in Syria , and they are itching to go in and help them , Imagine Syria firing into Turkey at this time , while they have their hands full with these NATO , SAUDIS, QATARIS and Turkey thugs , and so bad The UN and most of you dumb ass's believe all this BS , Just like you believed the WMD's story , back then it was BUSH , now its , Hillary and the crooked senators we have here , the ones they want to send our troops to fight every country in the world , so they can get reelected and have their pockets full of money .
Good for turkey.Don't take any guff from Syria.Look at the drug cartel violence in Mexico that has spilled over our borders.What has our country done?