Agence France Presse reported Wednesday that Turkey may force Syrian refugees to leave the country's city centers in Ankara's latest move to "deal" with the influx of refugees in the country.
Approximately 67,000 Syrian refugees live in Turkey's Istanbul, and legislation that would allow the city leadership to expel the newcomers to camps near the country's border with Syria is currently under way, according to Istanbul governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu.
"We are working on legislation that will enable us to send the refugees to the camps even without their consent," said Mutlu during a council meeting.
The governor also added that at least 500 refugees have already been sent back to camps nears the border last month.
More than 1 million refugees now reside in Turkey, with many fleeing to the neighboring country after Prime Minister Recep Tayyi Erdogan announced an "open-door policy" to all Syrians affected by the conflict.
Out of the 1 million, approximately 300,000 Syrian live in camps along the Turkey-Syria border, with many of the rest residing in the country's city centers.
