Erdogan urges Syria safe zone amid Kilis rocket attacks

ISTANBUL (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his calls Tuesday for a safe zone in northern Syria to protect civilians from airstrikes as the Turkish border town of Kilis has been hit by constant rocket attacks by Daesh.

"There’s not a single door left that we have not knocked on [regarding] developing a safe zone on our southern borders to protect innocent the people in Syria," Erdogan said in Istanbul during the third Islamic Conference of Ministers responsible for water.

"I shared this with the U.S. president [Barack Obama], I shared this with Russia when relations were good and I shared this with the Western countries," Erdogan said, adding that none of them took action to develop a safe zone.

Turkey’s southeastern province of Kilis has faced a spate of cross-border rocket attacks from the terrorist group Daesh in recent months.

"Tens of our people lost their lives due to rockets fired from Syria in our Kilis province," Erdogan said.

In Kilis province, the local governor has confirmed that in the last four months a total of 20 people have been killed and almost 70 others wounded by rockets that have fallen inside Turkish territory.

On Monday, Erdogan met Kilis Governor Suleyman Tapsiz as well as the city’s mayor Hasan Kara.