Highest paid Hollywood star and also U.N. envoy Angelina Jolie traveled to Turkey's border with Syria on Friday, sharing fruit and dessert with some of the thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled their government's bloody crackdown.

The Hollywood celebrity and goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees arrived in the Turkish province of Hatay on a private jet with boxes of toys for the refugee camps and visited one of the three refugee camps in Turkey, where nearly 10,000 Syrians have sought refuge. Jolie spent two-and-a-half hours with about 1,700 refugees at a camp in Altinozu, 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the Syrian border, asking how they were in Arabic and then speaking with them through an interpreter. She also took notes, showing particular interest in the women and children.

The American actress praised Turkey for welcoming the refugees, saying it is critical in these situations that people have access to safety. "The people in this camp have fled in fear for their lives, and many told me they were distraught about the safety of loved ones still in Syria." Jolie said in a UNHCR statement. A mob of children chanted "look who is here," and "welcome, welcome" as they pushed forward to shake Jolie's hand, the statement said. Many had slogans such as "freedom" painted on their foreheads.

Police kept both fans and media away from the actress at Hatay's airport and most cameras were removed from rooftops and high points. One fan held a poster that read, "Angelina, kiss me for world peace." Hundreds of people, mostly women, climbed rooftops and crowded balconies and waited under scorching sun for hours to catch a glimpse of her. Jolie waved at her fans before getting back into the van to be driven to the airport in a security motorcade. In April, Jolie traveled to Tunisia during its refugee crisis as thousands fled from its war-torn neighbor, Libya.