Turkey calls for ground invasion of Kobane to stop Isil

[flamingdem]

Source: Telegraph UK

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that a ground operation is needed to defeat the militants, fuelling concerns that US-led air strikes are doing little to halt Isil's advances.

"The terror will not be over... unless we cooperate for a ground operation," president Erdogan said in a televised speech in the eastern city of Gaziantep, adding that air strikes were not enough on their own.

"Months have passed but no results have been achieved. Kobane is about to fall."

His comments came as Dutch F-16s joined the fight in northern Iraq, possibly killing Isil militants with their first aerial strikes, the country's defence ministry said.

"Two Dutch F-16s this morning used weapons for the first time in Iraq against the IS terror group. They dropped three bombs on armed IS vehicles that were shooting at (Kurdish) Peshmerga fighters in the north of the country," a statement said.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11146053/Turkey-calls-for-ground-invasion-of-Kobane-to-stop-Isil.html

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Last minute Erdogan CYA? Turkish tanks still sitting there as Isis makes its way into the center of town.

[TwilightGardener]

1. He's not proposing a TURKISH ground invasion, I imagine, despite the tanks sitting there

on the border and plenty of Turkish soldiers watching the action. He wants the US to promise a no-fly zone and to take out Assad, or he won't lift a finger. No skin off his nose if the Kurds get wiped out.

[flamingdem]

3. But why is he saying ground invasion?

He knows the US won't do it and that Turkey is on the hot spot. I guess what you're saying is that he's trying to negotiate for a no fly zone. The Kurds won't agree to this.

[Man from Pickens]

5. Turkey is after the PKK

They've been a de facto ally to ISIS from day 1, they have no interest in stopping them. But a chance to invade Syria AND do damage to the PKK, who they've been fighting for decades? Now you're talking the Turks' language.

[flamingdem]

6. You think they'd get in there just to attack the PKK?

Wow, that's diabolical, if so they don't care about international opinion, there are a lot of eyes on the situation.

My thinking is that they'll delay and when enough Kurd fighters are killed they'll go in and set up some kind of order - perhaps pre-arranged with Isis?

Whatever they do they can't get away with much without being transparent.

Maybe the B-1 Lancers will bomb them if they take up positions with Isis!

[hollowdweller]

2. Good Let Him Do It.

[Little Star]

4. He's a bit late to the party.

[louis-t]

7. As Ted Baxter would say..."WELL...

we're WAITING!"

[jwirr]

8. They want us to be the ground troops. It did not work the first time and it will not work the second

time. Turkey needs to handle this on their own with air strikes from the allies.

Just thinking: War loves epidemics. Wonder how long it will take ebola to show up in the ME?

[Xolodno]

9. Talk about blown opportunities...

The inaction is only going to spur on the PKK. Had they jumped in there right away...it may have built some good will towards Turkey from the Kurds.

Then again, we are talking about a NATO member that refuses to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide ever happened.

[Glorfindel]

10. Turkey didn't have any problems invading Cyprus and establishing a "Turkish republic"

Let them solve their own border problems with their own soldiers. Not worth one drop of American blood or one cent of American money.

[flamingdem]

15. Erdogan might be negotiating for $

In return for army involvement. Just a guess.

[Tatiana]

11. Last time I checked, IS was knocking at Turkey's border.

Maybe they ought to consider mustering up some of their own ground forces.

[flamingdem]

14. They might have gone

Into a Turkish town today according to twitter. Regardless it's on their list, lots o apostates there.

[Historic NY]

12. Have at it Turkey, you could be next.

[flamingdem]

13. On twitter there was a report of Isis

In a Turkish town today. Of course it could be propaganda but maybe not.