[Tripoli Post] While telling the Syrian regime that the crackdown must end, Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu said that in the event of a massive exodus of refugees from Syria, in co-ordination with the international community, his country may consider setting up a buffer zone on its border from Syria.Asked on Kanal 24 TV, whether Turkey was mulling the creation of a buffer zone, Mr Davutoglu said that Turkey was preparing for every scenario. "If hundreds of thousands of people flee to our border, this would of course create a different situation. Some steps could be taken then together with the international community," he added.
Neighbouring Turkey and its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been critical off Syrian leader Bashir al-Assad's crackdown on opposition protests, particularly following an attack on Turkish diplomatic missions by pro-Syrian government demonstrators in several Syrian cities earlier this month.
Tensions further deteriorated when two busloads of Turkish pilgrims who were in Syria on their way back from the hajj in Mecca were attacked by Syrian gunnies.
Mr Erdogan has joined Jordan's King Abdullah, both one-time allies of the Syrian President, in calling on Bashir al-Assad to step down.
Further to that, while repeating that Turkey opposed military intervention, the Turkish foreign minister said that Syria has no chance to survive "unless it makes peace with its own people."
Turkey has accommodated about 7,500 opponents of Assad's regime in its Hatay province which borders Syria, after they decamped the violence.