Turkey to build new refugee camp for 55,000 Syrians

Turkey's disaster management agency is working to build a new refugee camp in Kilis, a town on the Syrian border, in the face of a fresh, massive influx from its southern neighbor as a result of a potential attack by the Islamic jihadists on the Azaz province, one of most populous regions in northwest Syria. 

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) is working on the establishment of the camp with a capacity of 55,000 refugees. The country has already been host to nearly 2 million Syrians since civil war broke in early 2011.  Around 278,000 of them are being sheltered in 25 camps mostly in Turkey's border provinces. 

According to AFAD officials, 100,000 refugees may cross into Turkey through the Öncüp?nar border gate in the first 24 hours after a potential attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The 55,000-refugee camp is designed to address the needs of these potential newcomers, officials said. 

AFAD preparations follow a very strategic risk assessment made by the National Security Council (MGK) during a meeting last week that envisaged cooperation between the Assad regime and ISIL. The regime paved the way for ISIL to seize control of northern Aleppo from the Free Syrian Army and has cleared its way through aerial bombings since mid-June, according to Turkish assessments, which followed Turkish counter measures. The biggest threat to Turkey is any ISIL offensive which may trigger a massive influx of refugees from the wider region that is home to 4.5 million Syrians.      

"Such a refugee inflow scares us. That would create a huge risk on our side, even though we have existing capabilities," officials told Hürriyet Daily News. Officials added that all other measures are being undertaken by...