Turkey asks US to ramp up air strikes against Islamic State

Turkey has asked the United States to step up air strikes to keep Islamic State militants (ISIS/ISIL) from seizing a key Syrian Kurdish border town, a senior Turkish official was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

"Our government and our related institutions have emphasized to US officials the necessity of immediately ramping up air bombardment in a more active and efficient way," Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said, according to comments published on the website of the television channel AHaber.

Islamic State fighters advancing into the southwest of Kobani has increased pressure on Ankara to intervene in the conflict. Criticism is moutning from Turkey's own Kurdish community, who accuse it of inaction.

NATO member Turkey has so far taken in more than 180,000 Syrian Kurdish refugees fleeing Kobani. But it has not joined a US-led coalition against Sunni insurgents, saying the campaign should aim to remove Syrian President Bashar Assad.
[jpost.com]
7/10/14