Turkish minister defends Syria 'safe zones' plan

Turkey's foreign minister defended the idea of "safe zones" in war-ravaged Syria and pressed the need for them to be properly funded, during a visit to Qatar on Wednesday.

Mevlut Cavusoglu said that only through raising funds and making the zones habitable would tens of thousands of Syrians be encouraged to return home.

"Firstly, we need to defend this idea," Cavusoglu said speaking at the inauguration of a Turkish hospital which has been built in Doha.

"Secondly, when it becomes a safe zone, we need to build houses, schools and facilities, therefore we need to raise funds together to develop the safe zone area so the people can live in a proper conditions.

"When we have the safe zone with the infrastructure... I am sure many refugees will prefer to go back," he added.

The minister was part of a high-level Turkish delegation, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visiting Qatar as part of a Gulf tour.

Turkey has repeatedly called for such a zone, which it believes could help to alleviate the burden of accommodating Syrian refugees fleeing the violence in their country.

Cavusoglu's comments follow a call by Erdogan earlier this month for a safe zone in northern Syria that was "free of terrorism".

Turkey believes such a zone could help to alleviate the burden of accommodating Syrian refugees, millions of which have been displaced since the beginning of the civil war in 2011.

"Our objective here is (to establish) an area of at least 4,000, 5,000 square kilometres free from terrorism, to create a safe zone," Erdogan said in a televised speech in Bahrain last week.

Erdogan added the area would also require a "no-fly" zone.

Last month, US media reported that the Pentagon would be given 90 days to draw up a plan to set up "safe zones" despite the West not being in support of such concepts previously.

Erdogan was due to leave Doha on Wednesday evening to continue his Gulf tour.

During his visit he met Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

With Qatar hosting a Turkish military base and both states united in their backing for rebels fighting the Assad regime, the two nations are particularly close allies.

Last year, the first call Erdogan received from a foreign leader during the 15 July coup was from the Qatari emir.