Turkey says may need help if Syria refuge flow continues

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey has warned the UN it may need help if the flow of refugees from Syria continues at its current rate, BBC News reported.

After speaking to the UN secretary general, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the refugee issue was becoming an "international problem".

Some 2,800 Syrians have crossed in 36 hours, with the total now near 24,000. Troops and rebels were engaged in heavy fighting across Syria on Friday, April 6 just six days before the UN hopes a full ceasefire will come into effect.

The UN estimates more than 9,000 people have died in the year-long uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Mr Davutoglu said he had spoken to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon early on Friday to express concern about the rate of refugees.

In later televised remarks, Mr Davutoglu said: "We have spared no efforts to accommodate Syrians fleeing the violence back home, but if they continue to arrive at this rate, we will need the UN and international community to step in."

The UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has set out a six-point peace plan that Syria has accepted, part of which envisages a UN-supervised cessation of armed violence by all parties from 10 April, with a full ceasefire on 12 April. However, the US and many regional countries have expressed scepticism that Syria is committed to the plan.

Mr Davutoglu said the rate of refugees had doubled since Mr Assad agreed to implementing Mr Annan's plan. "Those who are giving [Mr Assad] time should also know that the number of fleeing Syrians is increasing and this is turning into an international problem," Mr Davutoglu said.