Turkish PM says 10,000 Syrians wait at border

Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu speaks at the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference at Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London on Feb. 4. Leaders and diplomats from 70 countries are meeting in London on Thursday to pledge billions to help millions of Syrians displaced by war, and try to slow the chaotic exodus of refugees to Europe. AP

LONDON—Turkey’s prime minister says some 10,000 Syrians who have fled Syrian and alleged Russian bombing of Aleppo are waiting at the Turkish border, seeking refuge.

Speaking at the international donors conference in London, Ahmet Davutoglu said up to 70,000 others who had been sheltering in camps north of Aleppo were moving toward the Turkish border.

Turkey says it has taken in more than 2.5 Syrians since the civil war began in 2011. Davutoglu said the country had so far spent $10 billion on Syrians who have been placed in refugee camps in the country. He said an estimated $20 billion more could be needed to care for those outside of the camps.

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu new agency reports that Davutoglu blamed the failure of the first round of Syrian peace talks in Geneva on continued bombings of “hospitals and schools in Aleppo and Latikia” by the Syrian government forces.