GUVECCI, Turkey — From a rooftop in this dusty border town, Bilal looked out across the rugged valley to an abandoned refugee camp where he had fled advancing Syrian forces, fearing for his life, only to discover something quite unexpected: the feeling of freedom.

President Bashar al-Assad sent the Syrian military and police to the north to crush an uprising, prompting thousands to flee their homes, with as many as 11,000 seeking sanctuary in Turkey.

But there were many, like Bilal, who did not want to leave Syria and instead set up camps along the border. If President Assad’s goal was to employ fear to silence the popular revolt, Bilal said the refugee experience may have had an opposite effect.

“Being in Khirbet al-Jouz made us discover many things that were strange to us,” said Bilal, 30, who gave only one name for fear of government retribution. “We were able to walk around in freedom and talk to each other about our rights as human beings, without fear.”