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Several high-ranking Syrian military figures have defected to Turkey, reports in Turkish media say.
A general, two colonels, two majors and about 30 other soldiers are said to have crossed into Hatay province on Sunday night.
They were part of a group of some 200 people who crossed the border overnight into Monday, Anatolia news agency says.
Tensions between the two countries have escalated over the shooting down by Syria of a Turkish F-4 jet.
The two pilots were reported missing on Friday when their plane went down in the Mediterranean off the Syrian coast.
The Turkish cabinet is due to discuss the crisis on Monday, a day before Nato ambassadors in Brussels meet to consider their response.
Ankara has invoked Article 4 of Nato's charter, under which consultations can be requested when an ally feels its security is threatened.
More than 33,000 people have fled into Turkey since Syria's violence began in March 2011.
BBC
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