Turkey has not yet made a decision on setting up a buffer zone within Syria to provide shelter for civilians as well as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the fight against government forces, a government official said on Monday, March 19.

According to Today’s Zaman, speaking during a press conference after a meeting of the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Central Decision and Administration Board (MKYK) the party’s deputy chairman, Hüseyin Çelik, said the government has not come to a final decision.

On Sunday, the Syrian National Council (SNC) made an urgent plea for the establishment of a buffer zone within Syria to provide shelter for civilians as well as the FSA in the fight against government forces. The discussions over a possible buffer zone in Syria gained momentum last week when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the government is considering setting up a security or buffer zone along its border with Syria and may withdraw its ambassador to Damascus after Turkish citizens inside the neighboring country return home.

“We are making assessments including the withdrawal of our ambassador,” Erdoğan told reporters in Ankara. “There are also considerations about creating a buffer zone and a safe zone, we are evaluating alternatives.”

Speaking later in the day, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Turkey could not remain indifferent to developments in Syria. However, he did not mention any plans to establish a buffer zone, saying instead that Turkey will continue to work with the opposition SNC to help it broaden its social base and increase international support for the council.