Coordination in Kobane has been hampered by the close ties between the YPG fighters defending the town and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has waged a three-decade insurgency for self rule in neighbouring southeastern Turkey.
Those ties have also complicated Turkey’s response, with the government deeply reluctant to allow weapons or Kurdish fighters to cross the border.
Pro Kurdish protesters angered by Turkey’s lack of action have clashed repeatedly with police, sparking violence that has claimed at least 27 lives and prompted the Turkish authorities to impose a curfew in six provinces.
– US Turkish talks intensify –
After talks with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara could not be expected to act alone.
“It’s not realistic to expect that Turkey will lead a ground operation on its own,” he said.
There has been disappointment in Washington and elsewhere that Ankara has yet to commit its well equipped and well trained forces to the fight against the militants.
US coordinator Allen was to hold a second day of talks with Turkish officials on Friday on what role Ankara might play in the US led coalition.
A joint US Turkish military team will also meet next week to discuss the fight against the Islamist militants.
“There is no question that Turkey is well positioned to contribute,” in areas including military cooperation, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, while stressing “it’s not a situation where we are making demands”.
Turkey has been calling for a buffer zone to protect its border and provide some protection for fleeing Kurds.
The Turkish foreign minister was to hold talks in Paris on Friday, a day after France threw its weight behind the call.
But Russia said Thursday that any such plan would need the UN Security Council’s approval.
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