Turkey pushes for UN safe zone in Syria
FM Ahmet Davutoglu says he wants the international body to establish refugee camps on opposite side of border
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s foreign minister says he will press the U.N. Security Council to set up a safe haven inside Syria to protect thousands of people fleeing violence.
Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters Wednesday that Turkey wants the U.N. to protect and shelter refugees in camps in Syria. He was speaking before leaving for New York to attend a high-level U.N. Security Council meeting on Syria.
Turkey has taken in more than 80,000 refugees and has warned it will struggle if the numbers rise substantially.
An official said one of four new camps Turkey is building opened late Tuesday, allowing authorities to start letting in several thousand more Syrians who were waiting on the Syrian side of the border.
The U.N. refugee agency has said up to 200,000 refugees could flee to Turkey.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.