Turkey to open new refugee camp for Syrians

According to information the Anatolia news agency obtained from the Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD), due to the increasing number of Syrian refugees fleeing to Turkey, a new camp is being set up near the town of Karkamış in Gaziantep province, which borders Syria.

The construction of the camp, which is being done by AFAD personnel and a team of officials from the provincial administration, is expected to be completed within the next few days. The camp will be able to accommodate 10,000 people.

A Syrian brigadier general and several other military officers defected and joined 1,280 Syrians who fled overnight from Syria to Turkey, a Turkish official said on Tuesday. Additionally, the Anatolia news agency reported that 525 people had crossed the border into Turkey late on Monday, including a general and four colonels. The official stated that these latest defections have brought the number of Syrian generals in Turkey to 18, including one who is retired.