Turkey not to accept more refugees from Syria after earthquakes: FM

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that Turkey will not accept more refugees from Syria after the earthquakes, denying claims that Syrians were flooding into the country following the deadly quakes.

Claims that there is a new influx of refugees from Syria to Turkey "are not true". "We will not allow that. It is out of the question," Cavusoglu said at a joint news conference with his Libyan counterpart Nejla al-Mangush in the capital Ankara, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkey has offered to the United Nations to open two more border gates into Syria through Turkey's southern province of Kilis, but the gates would serve one way into Syria for humanitarian aid, he noted.

Currently, the humanitarian aid to Syria's rebel-held areas is being delivered through the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing across Turkey, according to Cavusoglu.

"We are facilitating humanitarian aid for Syrians, but we are not allowing a new Syrian refugee influx. These are two separate issues," the Turkish minister said.

--IANS

int/sha