Erdogan Says Kurdish Protests Will Not Prevent Peace Talks
Kristina Fernandez | | Oct 09, 2014 11:54 PM EDT |
(Photo : Reuters/Umit Bektas) Turkish military tanks take up position on the Turkish-Syrian border on October 6, 2014.
The deadly street protests over Turkey's refusal to intervene militarily in the Islamic State-besieged town of Kobani will not derail the peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdish rebels, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Thursday.
Ankara has rejected any proposal of military action against the Islamic State that has made its bloody advance in Kobani just across Turkey's border with Syria.
Like Us on Facebook
Turkey's top officials have insisted that unless the U.S.-led coalition expands airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey will not cross the Syrian border to reinforce Kurdish militiamen who defend the Syrian town.
This has enraged Turkey's Kurdish population, stirring violent clashes against riot police across several districts of Istabul, Ankara and the southern city of Mersin in the last four days.
AFP reported that as of Thursday the unrest has left at least 27 people dead.
Clashes have also been reported between Islamic State supporters and Kurdish sympathizers.
At Istanbul University, police detained 28 students on Thursday, while 50 women who mounted a protest at Istanbul's Ataturk airport were also arrested.
Erdogan said the violence will not intimidate the government and vowed to "fight those who engage in such acts," according to the initial statements released by his office.
Until the Islamic State laid siege of Kobani three weeks ago, restraint had been largely observed Kurdish forces and the Turkish government.
However, Turkey's open refusal to take on the Islamic State fighters just across its border, particularly after it blocked Kurdish fighters from crossing the border to join the fighting in Kobani, has threatened to end the fragile peace process with Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
PKK has been fighting for self-rule from Turkey in the last three decades. The group has warned of dissolving peace talks with Ankara if Kobani falls to Islamic State.
On Thursday, the Islamic State has seized up to a third of the city of Kobani as Turkish forces look on from their side of the border, Reuters reported.
TagsIslamic State in Syria, Kobani siege, Kobani, Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
©2015 Chinatopix All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission
EDITOR'S PICKS
-
Did the Trump administration just announce plans for a trade war with ‘hostile’ China and Russia?
-
US Senate passes Taiwan travel bill slammed by China
-
As Yan Sihong’s family grieves, here are other Chinese students who went missing abroad. Some have never been found
-
Beijing blasts Western critics who ‘smear China’ with the term sharp power
-
China Envoy Seeks to Defuse Tensions With U.S. as a Trade War Brews
-
Singapore's Deputy PM Provides Bitcoin Vote of Confidence Amid China's Blanket Bans
-
China warns investors over risks in overseas virtual currency trading
-
Chinese government most trustworthy: survey
-
Kashima Antlers On Course For Back-To-Back Titles
MOST POPULAR
LATEST NEWS
Zhou Yongkang: China's Former Security Chief Sentenced to Life in Prison
China's former Chief of the Ministry of Public Security, Zhou Yongkang, has been given a life sentence after he was found guilty of abusing his office, bribery and deliberately ... Full Article
TRENDING STORY
-
China Pork Prices Expected to Stabilize As The Supplies Recover
-
Elephone P9000 Smartphone is now on Sale on Amazon India
-
There's a Big Chance Cliffhangers Won't Still Be Resolved When Grey's Anatomy Season 13 Returns
-
Supreme Court Ruled on Samsung vs Apple Dispute for Patent Infringement
-
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Rumors and Release Date: What is the Latest?