Special to WorldTribune.com

Turkey’s government reported that 3,337 Syrians had crossed into Turkey from Syria since June 3 amid heavy fighting between Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and Kurdish forces.

The Kurds are attempting to push ISIL out of Tel Abyad in Syria’s Hassakah province which is close to Turkey’s border town of Akcakale. Air strikes by U.S.-led coalition fighter jets in the area also contributed to driving the mass of refugees into Turkey, officials said.

Aid workers at the Turkey-Syria border have said that Ankara has been turning back some refugees because Turkish officials “don’t want an influx of refugees just before an election.”

Turkey will hold parliamentary elections on June 7 and the economic strain of taking in refugees from Syria has become a large issue. Turkey has accepted 1.8 million people fleeing the fighting in Syria.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK) is looking for a large enough majority to change the constitution and grant more power to the president.

The left-wing People’s Democratic Party (HDP) looks to thwart the AK’s plans and weaken its 13-year hold on power.

The AK party needs to win 330 seats on June 7 in order to authorize a referendum on the presidential question. If the AK were to win 367 seats (two-thirds majority) it could pass the amendments it wants without input from the public.

  000 Syrians flee fighting for Turkey where critical election looms, ISIL, Kurds, More than 3, Recep Erdogan, Turkey elections, WorldTribune