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29Aug12
Syria's Assad Rules out Buffer Zones
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has dismissed as "unrealistic" Turkey's call for humanitarian buffer zones within Syria to protect refugees, in an upbeat interview with pro-government al-Dunya TV broadcast on Wednesday.
Assad insisted the situation in the country was "better," but maintained his forces are currently battling "terrorists" and would need more time to "win the battle."
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called for establishment of a UN-sanctioned buffer zone inside Syria to protect refugees and help distribute humanitarian aid, but Ankara is reluctant to act unilaterally as the move would likely amount to military intervention, the Chicago Tribune said.
The mass influx of refugees from Syria into Turkey could double to 200,000 according to the UNHCR refugee agency, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported on Wednesday. Davutoglu said Turkey would run out of space if the number of refugees went above 100,000.
French President Francois Hollande confirmed on Monday week that France was working on creation of buffer zones, the Daily Telegraph reported.
''We are working … [on] the initiative of buffer zones proposed by Turkey,'' Hollande said on Tuesday. ''We are doing so in co-ordination with our closest partners.''
Hollande, the first Western leader to urge the Syrian opposition to form a provisional government, said he would recognize it as soon as it was formed. He also declared that he and his international partners were closer than ever before to a formal intervention in Syria.
Opposition activists claimed the army has launched offensives across the country to regain control of rebel-held areas.
At least 20,000 people have been killed in Syria since the start of the conflict in the country last March.
[Source: Ria Novosti, Moscow, 29Aug12]
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