Damascus rejects buffer zone on Syrian soil

DAMASCUS - Syria's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday rejected foreign powers' talk about imposing a buffer zone on Syrian soil, according to the state news agency SANA.

"The Turkish attempts to establish a buffer zone on the Syrian soil is a flagrant violation to the charters of the UN and international law," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that "Syria totally rejects the establishment of a buffer zone on any part of its terrain under any pretext and also rejects the foreign military intervention on its soil."

The ministry stressed that the Syrian government would take all necessary measures to protect its national sovereignty and the unity of its territories after consulting with other countries.

The statement came as Turkey has been floating the idea setting up a buffer zone on the Syrian side of the borders under many pretexts, mainly to solve the issue of the Syrian refugees on Turkish soil.