Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.10
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Pentagon chief Ashton Carter has urged Turkey to tighten the control on the border with Syria, Anadolu agency reported Dec.10.
Carter said it is important in terms of combating the IS terrorist group (ISIL, ISIS or Daesh) and emphasized Ankara’s important role in fighting the IS militants.
Earlier, US President Barack Obama also called on Turkish authorities to strengthen the control on the Syrian-Turkish border and close it.
Turkish authorities haven’t yet closed the border with Syria, saying that this border is used as a humanitarian corridor for the refugees.
At present, over 2 million Syrian refugees are in Turkey.
The Syrian refugee camps in the country accommodate about 300,000 people. The rest of them are spread throughout the provinces and cities of Turkey. In Istanbul alone, there are currently 40,000 refugees from Syria.
Ankara has so far spent $8 billion to upkeep the Syrian refugees.
Edited by SI
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