Syrian Refugees in Turkey near 100,000 Threshold

The number of Syrians fleeing the conflict in their homeland and seeking refuge in Turkey has climbed close to the 100,000 threshold, Turkish authorities said Monday.

Turkey is currently home to 93,576 refugees housed in several camps in the southeast along the Syrian border, the AFAD disaster agency said in a statement.

But 30,000 more Syrians are estimated to be unregistered and staying in hotels or apartments in the country.

Turkey, a fierce opponent of the Damascus regime, has said it can handle no more than 100,000 refugees and has called for safe zones to protect people on Syrian soil.