Ankara: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has that Turkey’s military is working on plans to establish a “buffer zone” on his country’s borders with Iraq and Syria against Islamist militants, Turkish media reports said on Tuesday.
Erdogan also told a group of journalists on board his plane during his return from a visit to Qatar late on Monday that Turkey could take in leaders of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood who have been asked to leave Qatar.
Asked about the possibility of a buffer zone on Turkey’s southern borders, Hurriyet and other media quoted Erdogan as saying: “The armed forces are working [on plans]. They will bring them to us. We will decide if it is necessary.”
Erdogan did not say which side of the borders any buffer zone would be established or what it would entail.
Nato member Turkey has not committed to an alliance coalition announced this month to take on the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) — which is holding 49 Turks, including diplomats, hostage. It has told allies that it will stay quietly behind the scenes.
Erdogan also told reporters that Turkey could provide refuge to Muslim Brotherhood leaders now being forced to leave Qatar.
The leaders had sought refuge in Qatar following the ouster of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammad Mursi and the crackdown on his supporters. But their presence in Qatar had severely strained Doha’s relations with Egypt as well as with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who view the group as a threat.
Erdogan said Turkey would “review case by case” any request for refuge in Turkey.
“If there is no hindrance, then things could be made easier for them,” the pro-government Star newspaper quoted Erdogan as saying.
