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Turkish Kurds Protest Against Government Amid IS Advances


Kurds across Turkey have protested against the government's lack of support for the defenders of the Syrian border town of Kobani, which is being attacked by Islamic State (IS) fighters.

Police used tear gas and water cannon as unrest spread to at least six cities on October 7, including Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Ankara, Mersin, and Adana.

One demonstrator was reported killed.

Authorities in the southern province of Mardin declared a curfew in several districts.

The violence come as IS militants took positions on the edge of the Kurdish frontier town near Syria.

New U.S.-led air strikes have tried to repel the assault, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that warned that Kobani was "about to fall."

On a visit to a refugee camp for Syrians, he said "the terror will not be over... unless we cooperate for a ground operation."

Based on reporting by AFP and AP

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