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Clashes erupt on Turkey’s streets, at least 31 people killed

At least 31 people have been killed and 360 others wounded in four days of violent protests in Turkey by Kurdish demonstrators. The demonstrators are frustrated by the government's lack of action to save the Syrian town of Kobane from a jihadist militant takeover.

Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons against a students in Ankara, namely those protesting in support of Syrian Kurds in Kobani at the Middle Eastern Technical University (ODTÜ) campus and at Ankara University. At least 25 people have been detained. Turkish troops and tanks were deployed to restore order. Curfews were imposed in five provinces.

However, the curfew was broken in the southeastern province of Gaziantep on Thursday night when clashes broke out between pro-Kurdish activists and their opponents. The rival groups attacked each other with pistols, rifles and axes, leaving at least 20 people injured.

Kurdish forces say they have stalled the advance of Islamic State (IS) militants in the town after more American airstrikes overnight.

Turkish forces are standing by near Kobane but the government in Ankara has refused to send them into action, or to establish a safe corridor to ferry fighters and supplies to the besieged Kurdish fighters. Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on the situation "It is not realistic to expect Turkey to conduct a ground operation on its own,"

Washington has suggested that Ankara is not pulling it’s own weight, but the Turkish government resents this. Cavusoglu went on to say that "We are holding talks ... Once there is a common decision, Turkey will not hold back from playing its part."

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The Islamic State has set it's sights on expansion 

The Islamic state has pushed to secure the border between Turkey and Syria to act as a gateway for its recruits to enter the Caliphate. The Turkish government is being pressured by British politicians to put a stop to crossing of new Islamic State recruits. Islamic state fighters have begun to move up from Syria towards the Turkish border. They advance in columns of armoured trucks that were looted from abandoned Iraqi military bases. 

Dr Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi expert on Isis said "If [the Turkish border] is closed, it will cut three things: funding, an entrance for the foreign fighters and links to Europe which they are trying to open. If those plans are destroyed, they will aim for another gate to Lebanon." Islamic State fighters withdrew from areas north of Homs and have travelled east after a battle between themselves and Nusra Front, Syria’s branch of al Qaeda. The Islamic state has found opposition with western backed fighters in Syria and Iraq and also other Islamic militants like Nusra Front.

The paramilitary wing of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) - which was once declared a terrorist organisation by the U.S. - is now fighting alongside soldiers from Iraqi Kurdistan known as the Peshmega. The two forces along with U.S. air support have been successful in slowing the advance of Islamic State forces in some areas in Iraq.