Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers arrive in Turkey
Turkey has granted access to Peshmerga fighters from Iraq, who will cross into Syria to take on Islamic State militants
About 100 Peshmerga fighters from Iraqi Kurdistan have arrived at Sanliurfa airport in south-eastern Turkey, on their way to join the fight against Islamic State militants in Kobane.
Another group of fighters crossed into Turkey in a convoy of 80 lorries carrying heavy weapons towards the border with Syria, the BBC reports.
Turkey agreed to let the Peshmerga cross its territory after coming under increasing international pressure to play a more active role in the US-led coalition against Islamic State, Al Jazeera reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Last week the Iraqi Kurdish regional government in Irbil approved the deployment of Peshmerga fighters to Syria.The Turkish government said it will admit only soldiers who do not have links with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey and regarded as a terrorist organisation in the US and EU, according to The Guardian.Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the BBC that Turkey will only support the international coalition if there is an "integrated policy" which includes action against the forces of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Cautious optimism surrounds plans for the world's first nuclear fusion power plant
Talking Point Some in the industry feel that the plant will face many challenges
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
2024: the year of Black country artists
In the Spotlight Beyoncé debuted 'Cowboy Carter' at the top of the country charts, shining a spotlight on artists like Shaboozey
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Explore new worlds this winter at these 6 enlightening museum exhibitions
The Week Recommends Discover the estrados of Spain and the connection between art and chess in various African countries
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published