Turkey, EU nations to meet ahead of summit to discuss refugee crisis

Turkey, France, Germany, other EU nations are expected to meet before an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the refugee crisis that is worsening due to a growing number of people fleeing airstrikes in Syria.

An assault by Russian-backed Syrian government forces around the city of Aleppo has sent more than 30,000 people to the Turkish border and officials say tens of thousands more could be on the move, hoping eventually to reach Europe.

Russian war planes have been bombing around the Syrian city of Aleppo in support of a Syrian government offensive to recapture the city, sending tens of thousands of people fleeing to the Turkish border.

Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said there was a chance that the new wave of refugees would reach 600,000 if Russia's airstrikes continue.

An EU diplomat said, "The pre-summit-meeting will take place in the Austrian EU embassy this Thursday at midday," adding that around 11 countries including France and Germany would meet with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

A second diplomat confirmed the meeting and that France would likely be present.

All 28 EU leaders are scheduled to discuss their latest response to the refugee crisis at the summit on Thursday and Friday in Brussels.

Turkey, already home to more than 2.6 million Syrian refugees, has long pushed for the creation of a safe zone in northern Syria to protect displaced civilians without bringing them over the border into Turkey.

The proposal has so far gained little traction with Washington or NATO allies who fear it would require an internationally patrolled no-fly zone which could put them in direct confrontation with Assad and his allies.

President Erdoğan said the Syrian crisis could not be resolved without safe zones, and said that ways of keeping Syrians in their country needed to be sought.