Four Syrian army officials have crossed border and arrived in Turkey's southern province of Hatay amid clashes on Thursday, private Dogan News Agency reported Friday.

The defected Syrian troops who had asked the Turkish government for shelter, were taken to the "Hac" stopover facilities, the report said.

The defection came at a time when UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos were touring Syrian refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border before talking with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu later on Friday.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in January that his country was sheltering up to 10,000 Syrian refugees who fled the crisis at home.

Turkey, once a close ally of Syria, has repeatedly called on Damascus to stop violence against civilians and has imposed a series of sanctions against Syria, including an arms embargo.