October 15, 2012 - 15:35 AMT
Number of Syrian refugees in Turkey exceeds 100 000

The number of Syrian refugees housed in camps in southern Turkey has exceeded 100 000, the Turkish disaster management agency (AFAD) said on Monday, Oct 15, a level beyond which Ankara had previously said it would struggle to accommodate more, according to Today’s Zaman.

AFAD said in a statement there were now 100 363 Syrians at more than a dozen camps in Turkish provinces along the border.

Turkey earlier signaled that it would weigh plans to establish a safety zone within Syrian territory if it is faced with a massive influx of refugees. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said in August that Turkey would not accept more than 100 000 refugees and that the creation of a buffer zone could be necessary to contain a refugee flow onto its soil.