Missing Brit Medics 'Wanted To Help Refugees'

The families of a group of medical students who are believed to have crossed into Syria via Turkey say their children are driven by "humanitarian motivations" and a desire to help refugees.

Seven Britons are among the group , which entered Syria from the Turkish border town of Akcakale around 13 March, according to Turkish politician Mehmet Ali Ediboglu.

The group also includes two Sudanese, one American and a Canadian, he added.

In a statement, the families said their sons and daughters are known for their "excellent academic achievements, (and) social and moral capabilities".

"They have come to Turkey willingly to offer voluntary medical help to those refugees who are in need of medical care on Turkey's borders," the statement said.

"We believe that they have arrived in Turkey, but they have disappeared since and we do not know their whereabouts.

"We, the parents, would like to announce that our children's intentions are of good humanitarian motivations within their medical objectives.

"We would like to declare that since our arrival to Turkey, we have made tremendous efforts to know the whereabouts and the safety of our children, but we have so far failed."

Previous reports suggested that nine Britons were among the group of 11 students who flew to Turkey from Sudan, where they were studying medicine.

The students are in their late teens and early 20s.

They British students have been named as: Logain Ahmed Abusibah, Tamer Ahmed Ebu Sebah, Hisham Mohammed Fadlallah, Lena Maumoon Abdulqadir, Mohamed Osama Badri, Osman Fagiri, and Tasneem Suleyman Huseyin.

The Foreign Office is providing consular assistance to the families of the Britons.

A spokesman said: "We are providing consular assistance to the families. We have informed the Turkish police to try and ascertain their whereabouts."