From Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan:
You can’t end this terrorism [Islamic State offensive in Kobani, within sight of the Turkish-Syrian border] just by airstrikes. If you don’t support them on the ground by cooperating with those who take up a ground operation, the airstrikes won’t do it. Wall Street Journal, 10/8/14, pg. A6
Could that ground support perhaps come from Turkey, with its 600,000-troop military, 3,500 tanks, and 1,000 modern aircraft, including helicopters? Although the Islamic State’s black flags in Kobani are visible from Turkey, so far Turkey has committed no boots on the ground. The best guess is that they are going to play the time honored game: let the US fight your wars.
