TURKEY: Syrian National Council say they are not satisfied with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's quotes over buffer zone but awaits action

Record ID: 280449

  • Title: TURKEY: Syrian National Council say they are not satisfied with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's quotes over buffer zone but awaits action
  • Date: 17th March 2012
  • Summary: HATAY, TURKEY (MARCH 16, 2012) (REUTERS) REFUGEES WAVING SYRIAN OPPOSITION FLAG IN A TENT CAMP
  • Embargoed: 1st April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey, Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6CG1W4DDRTTCIOXLEQLV5PFR4
  • Story Text: Syrian opposition said on Friday (March 16) they welcomed the remarks of Turkish Prime Minister but demanded swift action.
    Syrian National Council Executive Committee Member Samir Nashar said, the remarks given by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan are positive, but immediate action has to be taken to bring the plans into life.
    "The comments given by the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the buffer zone and safe zone are very positive but we do not think it is enough to consider those options. Action has to be taken immediately to protect the civilians and to establish the security of the people fleeing from Syria," said Nashar.
    Turkey is considering setting up a buffer zone inside Syria to tackle the flow of refugees fleeing the conflict there, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, comments that stirred celebrations by Syrians sheltering in Turkish camps.
    Turkey is wary of military intervention that could bring it into confrontation with Syrian forces, but has signaled that a large flood of refugees crossing its borders, or massacres by Syrian government troops, could force it to act. It says any such operation would need some form of international agreement and involvement.
    "We think that this decision must be immediately taken. And it will be a much stronger decision if it will be taken in cooperation with the United States and the European Union," said Nashar.
    A buffer zone inside Syria would need to be secured without at least tacit Syrian government acceptance, that could bring Turkish forces, the second biggest in NATO, into contact with Syrian forces.
    "I believe the intervention of Turkey will be appreciated and it will not be considered as an intervention by an outside force. And Syrian people will welcome this considering it in the same way," said Nashar.
    Turkey says that there are now 14,700 Syrian refugees living in camps on its territory. On Thursday it announced there had been a sharp increase in the flow, with some 1,000 arriving in the previous 24 hours, driven by fighting in nearby Idlib.
    But the number who fled to Turkey in the 24 hours up to Friday morning, had gone down to around 250, an official said.
    Ankara is also likely to follow the lead of the Arab League on Syria. Some Arab countries, notably Qatar, have called for an Arab peacekeeping force and arming the rebel Free Syrian Army.
    Those calls could be repeated at a meeting of Western and Arab states, the "Friends of Syria", in Istanbul on April 2.
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