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MURSITPINAR/BEIRUT. — Turkey’s president said Kobani was “about to fall” after Islamic State fighters advanced into the south west of the Syrian Kurdish town, pressing home a three-week assault that has cost a reported 400 lives.
The prospect that the town on the Turkish border could be captured by the militants has increased pressure on Turkey, with the strongest army in the region, to join an international coalition to fight against Islamic State.
Islamic State wants to take Kobani in order to strengthen its grip on the border area and consolidate the territorial gains it has made in Iraq and Syria in recent months.
US-led air strikes have so far failed to prevent its advance on Kobani.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan said bombing was not enough to defeat Islamic State and Turkey had made clear that additional measures would be needed.
“The problem of ISIS (Islamic State) . . . cannot be solved via air bombardment. Right now . . . Kobani is about to fall,” he said during a visit to a camp for Syrian refugees.
“We had warned the West. We wanted three things. No-fly zone, a secure zone parallel to that and the training of moderate Syrian rebels,” he said.
He said Turkey would intervene if there were threats to Turkish soldiers guarding a historic site in Syria that Ankara regards as its territory.
But so far Turkey has made no move to get involved in the fighting across the border.
From across the Turkish border, two Islamic State flags could be seen flying over the eastern side of Kobani.
Two air strikes hit the area and sporadic gunfire could be heard. — Reuters.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter