meanwhile, in turkey, refugees waiting in izmir watched the developments across europe with forebodinge port city is one of the staging posts feeding into the human smuggling racket. it's an expensive, and often perilous, journey to the greek islands not far away for the many here in the district of basmane. they are mainly syrians, sleeping where they can, in squalid, unsanitary conditions. these sleeping represent just a fraction of the tens of thousands of refugees who have gathered on turkey's mediterranean coastline hoping to get to europe. some children were up early on a day when the winds and seas were said to be favorable for the voyage. in the mosque in the main square, where many refugees shelter, the most desperate desire is for the european union to open the land borders between turkey, greece and bulgaria, to put an end to the drownings that have claimed thousands. >> ( translated ): one important thing regarding our turkish brothers who deal with arab countries: migrants and those who seek asylum to these european countries, finish your good deed. see all these families

in izmir, turkey. 10-month-old fahad and his family are waiting to cross to greece. the same perilous journey that shattered allan kurdy's family. they're syrian. mom, dad, brother and two sisters. mohammad was a career military man in syria. a steady job. and a nice house too, he tells us. have you ever felt that you want to give up? "that's it," she remembers of a particularly bad time. "we were going to go back." she is 29 years old. here in turkey, many refugees head to the same place. it's where you can find the smugglers, the middlemen, the gangsters who can get you across to greece. the smugglers here are charging $1,100 for adults, half price for kids. that's a life savings for many. the risks in these open boats are unspeakable. local merchants are profiting on the desperation. >> this is a life preserver? it looks like a toy. it says "this is not a life-saving device." this is for a little child. >> reporter: the store owner didn't want us around after that. this year, more than 2,300 migrants from across the middle east and africa have drowned in the medit

we met him and his family in izmir, turkey, as they prepared to risk everything in a smuggler's boat to greece. they're syrian, fleeing the we learn that smugglers charge $1100 for adults, half price for kids. and saw how local merchants turn a grim profit, too. >> look at this. this is not a life-saving device. this is for a little child. the store owner didn't want us around after that. week, fahad and his family go to the beach, hoping to get out. finally they do. their cellphone videos showing the overcrowded rubber boat, the fear on the childrens' faces. we take the ferry to greece, and find them safe and sound. the lucky ones. terry moran, abc news, on the island of kos, greece. >> terry, thank you. >>> we're going to turn now to pope francis tonight on the eve of his visit to america. a new pole showing american catholics growing more accepting of nontraditional families. nine in ten say a household with a mother and father is ideal for bringing up children. 48% believe children raised by unmarried parents living together is as good as any other arrangement. 43% believes child

. >> reporter: we first meet ali and his group in the turkish city of izmir on august 28th.e and his friends are not what you might picture when you think of refugees. they're from wealthy families who lost nearly everything when the horrific, grinding war broke out in syria four years ago. >> you'd just be killed? >> yeah, any time. >> reporter: now he's hoping to start over in belgium. also in the group, ali's niece rawa, an 18-year-old who likes soccer, yoga, reading, and american music. >> bruno mars. i love bruno mars. >> bruno mars? >> yeah. >> reporter: she says she had an idyllic life in syria until the war. >> we were terrified. we were threatened. my dad was threatened and my uncles got threatened. you cannot have your children if you don't give us money. >>eporter: driven by desperation and hope, these 11 syrians are joining the human highway of refugees. hundreds of thousands of people fleeing violence and terror in places like syria and iraq, making the 2,500-mile trip through turkey over to greece up through southern europe and on to either germany or belgium.