This Article is From Oct 14, 2014

France President Hollande Urges Turkey to Open its Border to Aid Kobane

France President Hollande Urges Turkey to Open its Border to Aid Kobane

File Photo: French President Francois Hollande (AFP)

Paris: France's president on Tuesday urged Turkey to open its border to allow reinforcements to reach the besieged city of Kobane and called for more help to those fighting the advance of the Islamic State group.

Francois Hollande stressed that "all countries concerned", including those not in the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, should provide weapons to those battling the jihadists.

"I think about what is happening today in Kobane, a martyred town, a symbolic town. If we have to intervene, as we decided for France in Iraq, we also have to give the moderate Syrian oppositionm all the support, all the help necessary," he said.

"I am launching an appeal here, beyond the coalition, to all countries concerned to give this opposition the support they expect from us, the means they need to fight against terrorism," Mr Hollande said.

"Kobane could at any moment fall into the hands of the terrorists," Mr Hollande said. "Turkey must absolutely open its border" to help the Syrian Kurds defending the town which is under attack from Islamic State jihadists.

Kurdish groups have called on Turkey to allow its territory to be used for passing weapons to fighters defending Kobane.

But Turkey is reluctant to arm Kurds and intervene militarily against the jihadists fearing that military action around Kobane could bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and strengthen Kurdish militants linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK.
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