Turkey calls on US to intensify airstrikes against ISIL in Kobane

ANKARA

A Turkish armoured personnel carrier patrols on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruç, Şanlıurfa province, across from the Syrian town of Kobane. AFP Photo / Aris Messinis

Turkey has called on the United States to intensify its aerial attacks against the jihadist militants in northern Syria to avoid the fall of Kobane, a senior Turkish official has said.

“Our government and related institutions have underlined the necessity to intensify aerial bombings in a more active and effective ways through contacts with U.S. officials until late into yesterday night,” Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın Akdoğan said in a written statement on Oct. 7.

Turkey’s perceived inaction has drawn criticism from Kurdish political parties with protests around the country, but Akdoğan emphasized the large amount of humanitarian aid given by Turkey to the region.

“It’s great unfairness to claim that Turkey is doing nothing,” he said.

“Turkey will not be content with the fall of Kobane into the hands of terrorist organizations. It should be well-known that any attempts of violence and vandalism threatening the peace of our people will not be tolerated," Akdoğan added.

The deputy prime minister also announced that a security meeting would be held today under the leadership of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu but described it was a "routine" meeting.

Meanwhile,  the international community should immediately act to defend the key Syrian border town of Kobane, on the verge of falling to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, the UN's peace envoy to Syria said Oct. 7.

"The world, all of us, will regret deeply if ISIL is able to take over a city which has defended itself with courage but is close to not being able to do so. We need to act now," Staffan de Mistura said in a statement.