Turkish Kurds clash with police on border with Syria as Syrian Kurds stream into Turkey
- 10 years ago
Another example of the shifting terrain into which the west and its Arab allies hope to bring order, this time on the Syrian-Turkish border.
Thousands of Syrian Kurds are trying to get into Turkey and safety, fleeing the oncoming ISIL horde. But at the border the welcome many see is of ranks of police, and tear gas in the air. Turkish Kurds have been attacking security forces that they believe are complicit in their compatriot’s suffering.
Turkish police used tear gas to disperse the protests, yet only 20 kilometres away the Kurdish peshmurga infantry is fighting ISIL tooth and nail to protect the city of Kobani, under heavy ISIL attack from three sides.
Turkey now says it has over one and a half million Syrian refugees on its soil, but unofficial estimates say the refugee numbers are double that. If confirmed, it would be a sad new world record.
Thousands of Syrian Kurds are trying to get into Turkey and safety, fleeing the oncoming ISIL horde. But at the border the welcome many see is of ranks of police, and tear gas in the air. Turkish Kurds have been attacking security forces that they believe are complicit in their compatriot’s suffering.
Turkish police used tear gas to disperse the protests, yet only 20 kilometres away the Kurdish peshmurga infantry is fighting ISIL tooth and nail to protect the city of Kobani, under heavy ISIL attack from three sides.
Turkey now says it has over one and a half million Syrian refugees on its soil, but unofficial estimates say the refugee numbers are double that. If confirmed, it would be a sad new world record.