ANKARA (Sputnik) — Many Syrians flee the country and head to Europe, which is facing a major refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people arriving in the European Union from the Middle East and North Africa.
European Commission estimates some 500,000 people from the Middle East and North Africa have arrived in the bloc since the beginning of 2015.
"Between eight and nine million Syrians have lost their homes. They can easily become refugees. There is only one way to prevent it – by creating a security zone in northern Syria, building there cities and placing refugees there," Davutoglu said at a press conference in New York, as broadcast by the Turkish NTV channel.
Syria has been in a state of civil war since March 2011. Government forces have been clashing with "moderate" opposition factions and extremist groups, such as Islamic State and the Nusra Front.
According to the UN, an armed conflict has claimed lives of more than 250,000 people.
