Germany, Turkey back solution to Syrian war

The German government says the leaders of Germany and Turkey have discussed the migration crisis and called for stepped-up efforts to achieve a "political solution" to end Syria's civil war.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone Wednesday. The government said Merkel praised the "enormous Turkish efforts" to take care of nearly 2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. It added that the two leaders agreed to increase cooperation on resolving the refugee crisis, with an emphasis on combatting traffickers.

Turkey is a main point of departure for Syrians and others seeking a better life in Europe, with many setting off for Greece's eastern islands aboard flimsy boats.

Meanwhile, Hungarian police have used tear gas after hundreds of migrants broke through a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia.

The police stopped the crowd, who threw plastic water bottles at them. There were no reports of injuries. Several people were seen with tears in their eyes from the gas.

The crowd coming in from the Serbian border town of Horgos remained in front of the gate facing the police cordon. A Hungarian water cannon was parked facing them.