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Islamic State crisis: Peshmerga fighters head to Turkey Islamic State crisis: Kurdish fighters arrive in Turkey
(about 8 hours later)
Iraqi Kurdish forces are travelling to Turkey, from where they plan to cross into Syria to battle Islamic State (IS) militants besieging the town of Kobane. A group of 150 Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have arrived in Turkey from where they plan to cross into Syria to battle Islamic State (IS) militants besieging the town of Kobane.
Up to 150 Peshmerga fighters are on the move, with half going by air and half accompanying heavy weapons by road. One contingent flew from Iraq to a south-eastern Turkish airport.
Another contingent, carrying weapons including artillery, is travelling separately by land through Turkey.
Turkey agreed to the deployment last week after refusing to allow Turkish Kurds to cross the border to fight.Turkey agreed to the deployment last week after refusing to allow Turkish Kurds to cross the border to fight.
Earlier, the Turkish prime minister rejected claims that he was not doing enough to end the jihadists' assault. Thousands of cheering, flag-waving supporters gathered to see off the Kurds as they left the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Irbil by plane.
"Saving Kobane, retaking Kobane and some area around Kobane from [IS], there's a need for a military operation," Ahmet Davutoglu told the BBC. The first batch of Peshmerga forces landed early on Wednesday at Sanliurfa airport in south-eastern Turkey, according to the AP news agency.
But he made clear that Turkey would only take part once the US-led coalition against IS had an "integrated strategy" that included action against the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. They are then reported to have left the airport in buses escorted by Turkish security forces and are expected to get to Kobane through the Mursitpinar border crossing.
He also noted that Western states were not prepared to send troops. Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu rejected claims that he was not doing enough to end the jihadist assault.
"The only way to help Kobane, since other countries don't want to use ground troops, is sending some peace-oriented or moderate troops to Kobane. What are they? Peshmerga... and Free Syrian Army," he added. He told the BBC that Turkey would only take part once the US-led coalition against IS had an "integrated strategy" that included action against the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Air strikes
Military trucks loaded with machine-guns, artillery and fighters left a base north-east of the Iraqi Kurdish capital, Irbil, on Tuesday, according to the AFP news agency.
The agency quoted a Kurdish official as saying that 80 fighters would travel to Turkey by land, with the remainder going by air.
However, a BBC producer in Istanbul said 62 fighters would enter Turkey by road and 68 by air. The convoy of heavy weapons is thought to include anti-tank rockets and missiles.
Earlier reports had indicated that most of the fighters were leaving by air on Tuesday.
Iraqi Kurdish officials had said the Peshmerga would be flown to Silopi in south-eastern Turkey, from where they would travel by land to Kobane.
The Kurdistan Parliament authorised sending 150 Peshmerga to help defend the predominantly Kurdish Syrian town last week. It was unclear why their deployment was delayed.The Kurdistan Parliament authorised sending 150 Peshmerga to help defend the predominantly Kurdish Syrian town last week. It was unclear why their deployment was delayed.
A Peshmerga commander told CNN that there had been "logistical problems", but there have also been reports of a dispute between the Turkish authorities and the Syrian Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG), which are leading the defence of Kobane. The Kurdish population in both Iraq and Syria is under significant threat because of the rapid advance by IS.
"There is now no political problem. There is no problem in the way of them crossing," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by the official Anatolia news agency on Tuesday. US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that America would "certainly encourage'' the deployment of Iraqi Peshmerga forces to Kobane.
The battle for Kobane has emerged as a major test of whether the coalition's air campaign can push back IS.The battle for Kobane has emerged as a major test of whether the coalition's air campaign can push back IS.
Weeks of air strikes in and around Kobane have allowed Kurdish fighters to prevent it from falling, but clashes continued on Tuesday and a local YPG commander said IS still controlled 40% of the town. Weeks of air strikes in and around Kobane have allowed Kurdish fighters to prevent it from falling, but clashes continued on Tuesday and a local Kurdish commander said IS still controlled 40% of the town.
The US Central Command said it had conducted four strikes there on Tuesday, destroying a small IS unit and four fighting positions. More than 800 people have been killed since the jihadist group launched an offensive on Kobane six weeks ago.
More than 800 people have been killed since the jihadist group launched an offensive on Kobane six weeks ago. The fighting has also forced more than 200,000 people to flee across the Turkish border. The fighting has also forced more than 200,000 people to flee across the Turkish border.
IS has declared the formation of a caliphate in the large swathes of Syria and Iraq it has seized since 2013.IS has declared the formation of a caliphate in the large swathes of Syria and Iraq it has seized since 2013.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has told an international conference that millions of Syrian refugees fleeing the conflict have had an "enormous" impact on neighbouring countries. The UN says that millions of Syrian refugees fleeing the conflict have had an "enormous" impact on neighbouring countries in terms of "economics, public services, the social fabric of communities and the welfare of families".
"Economics, public services, the social fabric of communities and the welfare of families are all affected, not to mention the security impact of the Syrian conflict in the whole region," Antonio Guterres told the meeting in the German capital Berlin.
More than three million Syrians have fled their country since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011, with most of them now sheltering in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.More than three million Syrians have fled their country since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011, with most of them now sheltering in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.