Over 100,000 Syrian Kurds flee to Turkey to escape ISIL
- 10 years ago
More than 100,000 Syrian Kurdish refugees have fled to Turkey since Friday to escape the advance of Islamic State militants.
Many of those escaping tell of beheadings by the Islamic fighters in order to frighten locals into obedience.
One Syrian Kurd said: “I’ve brought my family here to put them in a secure place. Now, I want to go back to fight against ISIS and liberate the territories that have been captured by ISIS. They are our lands.”
Kurdish politicians in Turkey have called on young Turkish Kurds to join the fight.
Islamic State is advancing towards the border town of Ayn al-Arab, known in Kurdish as Kobani. They have seized more than 60 villages around it since the onslaught started on Tuesday.
Turkey is facing one of the biggest refugee influxes from Syria since the war began more than three years ago.
The country is already hosting around 1.5 million Syrian refugees.
Many of those escaping tell of beheadings by the Islamic fighters in order to frighten locals into obedience.
One Syrian Kurd said: “I’ve brought my family here to put them in a secure place. Now, I want to go back to fight against ISIS and liberate the territories that have been captured by ISIS. They are our lands.”
Kurdish politicians in Turkey have called on young Turkish Kurds to join the fight.
Islamic State is advancing towards the border town of Ayn al-Arab, known in Kurdish as Kobani. They have seized more than 60 villages around it since the onslaught started on Tuesday.
Turkey is facing one of the biggest refugee influxes from Syria since the war began more than three years ago.
The country is already hosting around 1.5 million Syrian refugees.