Syrian Refugees in Turkey Exceed 100,000

The number of Syrians fleeing the conflict in their homeland and seeking refuge in Turkey now exceeds 100,000, a Turkish disaster agency said on Monday.

Turkey is home to 100,363 refugees housed in several camps in the southeast along the Syrian border, the AFAD disaster agency said in a statement.

Several thousand more are estimated to be unregistered and staying in hotels or apartments in the country.

Turkey, a fierce opponent of the regime in Damascus, has said it can handle no more than 100,000 refugees and has called for safe zones to protect people on Syrian soil.

Turkish officials have said however that Ankara would not close its doors to refugees if the number exceeded the threshold.

The country's European Union Affairs Minister called on Europe on Monday to do more to help Turkey tackle the great influx, accusing the bloc of being fixated on its debt crisis.

"Europe should start thinking about the people who have fled Syria into Turkey," Egemen Bagis said in an interview with German daily Die Welt.

"Europe has to help people who need a safe haven. It's time for Europe to finally help out," he added.

The United Nations estimates that more than 2.5 million people have been affected by the conflict in Syria, which has now entered its 20th month.

There are more than 348,000 Syrian refugees registered in neighboring countries, but many more are unregistered.