US State Department has said Turkey has been an enormous help in humanitarian efforts for Syrian refugees by taking in nearly 12,000 Syrians fleeing a year-long violence as a result of military crackdown by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Today's Zaman reported.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Turkish position on Syria has been "quite tough" for some time and that the US is making its views clear to Turkey.
According to Turkish officials, close to 12,000 Syrians were registered at the camps set up to provide refuge for them in Turkey's southeast province of Hatay, after the arrival of around 800 during the past week.
The spokeswoman said Turkey is also now providing staging points for the humanitarian aid, without elaborating what kind of support Turkey offered in humanitarian aid for Syrians many have advocated without tangible plan on how to deliver it.
Nuland added that discussion between Turkey and the US on Syria is ongoing.