ANKARA, September 22 (RIA Novosti) – As the number Syrian refugees crossing in to Turkey has reached 130,00 in the last three days, Turkey has begun to close border.
"As of today, starting Friday, about 130,000 people from Syria entered Turkey. According to our data, about 400,000 people live in the area where there is fighting at the moment. We are trying to provide the refugees with everything necessary," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Monday.
He also stressed that one should not look for any political motivation in the actions of the Turkish authorities. "We help people as we can," the politician said.
Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that only two out of the nine border crossings are functioning on Monday. On Sunday Turkish authorities briefly closed the border after clashes broke out between security forces and protesters, supporting the refugees. Turkish border guards were forced to use tear gas and cannons against the demonstrators.
At the same time, the UNHCR said on Monday it "is stepping up its response to help the Turkish government provide assistance" to Syrian refugees.
"I commend Turkey's welcoming response to offer refuge and aid to this population so suddenly and violently driven from their homes in fear for their lives," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said, the UNHCR reported.
"This massive influx shows how important it is to offer and preserve asylum space for Syrians as well as the need to mobilize international support to the neighboring countries so generously hosting them," the statement added.
Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees pass through the Turkish border because of the continuing fighting between the extremists of the Islamic State and the Kurds of Syrian Democratic Union Party, and the flow does not stop. Turkish authorities have expressed their readiness to accept about 100,000 people.
There are currently more than 1.4 million Syrian citizens in Turkey: more than 200,000 are living in refugee camps. Turkey has spent about $4 billion assisting Syrian refugees. Authorities have declared an open door policy for refugees while in some Turkish cities anti-Syrian demonstrations have been held by the local population.
Earlier, Syrian Kurds asked for military aid from Kurds all over the Middle East in order to fight the Islamic State. Turkish general staff is considering the establishment of a buffer zone on Syrian territory to accommodate the refugees there, as well as additional protection for Turkey from the terrorists operating on the border.
