Turkish PM Calls for Humanitarian Corridors in Syria
Reports broadcast on Syrian state TV say people have been returning home to the Baba Amr district of Homs where government troops have regained control from rebels.
But aid agencies have been refused entry since Friday. The authorities say it is due to security concerns.
Turkey’s prime minister, one of President Assad’s fiercest critics, has appealed to Damascus.
“Humanitarian aid corridors to Syria must be opened right away,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a parliamentary meeting of his AKP party, without specifying where they might run.
“We must heap pressure on the Syrian administration to deliver humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, especially to Homs. The Arab League decision on Syria must be implemented without wasting any more time,” he added, referring to a peace plan drawn up in January.
Turkey’s border with Syria runs for over 900 kilometres. The Turkish government says 11,000 Syrians have fled into Turkey since the crackdown began a year ago. Many more have crossed into Lebanon.