Turkey is trying hard to push forward the imposition of a no-fly zone inside Syrian territory while its army staged a new military drill near its border with Syria on Tuesday.

The semi-official Anatolia news agency reported that Turkey deployed tanks, advanced armored personnel carriers and tactical missile-launching platforms in the border area of Oncupinar.

The latest military exercises came as Washington and Ankara are reportedly considering imposing a no-fly zone in Syria as an option to address the conflict in the country.

The relationship between Turkey and Syria hit an all-time low after a Turkish jet was brought down by Syria and more than 60,000 refugees flooded into Turkey.

An official source disclosed that Turkey would cooperate with the United States and Arab allies to press for a UN resolution mandating the establishment of safety zone within Syria.

"This will be complemented by military measures that may include a no-fly zone and restriction of (Syrian President Bashar) al-Assad's troop movements," the source said.

Setting up a no-fly zone is one of the most debated issues among the Turkish officials. Some of them said the influx of hundreds of thousands of Syrians would be the only precondition for Turkey to establish a safe zone.

According to Turkish diplomatic sources, creating a safe zone near the Syrian border is a possible option. "If the number of the refugees increases, Turkey would create a similar zone (to the one) it created in Iraq," said one of the sources.

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