Grim images of Syrian migrant boat capsize leads to public outcry

An image of a drowned toddler washed up on the beach in one of Turkey's prime tourist resorts swept across social media on Wednesday, after at least 12 presumed Syrian refugees died trying to reach the Greek island of Kos. (Source: Reuters)

The two boats, carrying a total of 23 people, had set off separately from the Akyarlar area of the Bodrum peninsula, a senior Turkish naval official said. (Source: Reuters)

Tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing the war in their homeland have descended on Turkey's Aegean coast this summer to board boats to Greece, their gateway to the European Union. (Source: Reuters)

People who claim to be Syrian refugees ask for money from passing motorists during rush-hour traffic in Istanbul on Saturday. The handwritten note reads 'Hungry' in Turkish. According to the UNHCR, the number of refugees and asylum-seekers in Turkey in 2015 is expected to rise to nearly 1.9 million, including 1.7 million Syrian refugees. (Source: AP)