US, British to consider Syria-Turkey buffer zone

Top diplomats of the US and Britain said Wednesday they would mull over the idea of creating a buffer zone on the Syrian side of the Turkish border to protect displaced civilians.

"The buffer zone is an idea that's been out there. It's worth examining. It's worth looking at very, very closely," Xinhua quoted US Secretary of State John Kerry telling reporters after meeting with British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond at the State Department.

"The idea of a buffer zone is one that has been floated. We'd have to explore with other allies and partners what is meant by a buffer zone and how such a concept would work. But I certainly wouldn't want to rule it out at this stage," Hammond said.

Turkey had called for creating a secure area on the Syrian side of the border it shares with the country, where tens of thousands of Syrians have fled the fighting as refugees.

It also desired a "no-fly zone" in the border region to protect itself from violence in Syria.

Pentagon said Wednesday that the buffer zone is not a new issue and the US had known Turkey's interest in it, but the military is not weighing the idea now.