IRBIL, Iraq — Lawmakers in Iraq’s largely autonomous Kurdish region Wednesday authorized peshmerga forces to go to neighboring Syria and help fellow Kurds combat Islamic State terrorists in the key border town of Kobane, providing much-needed boots on the ground.
The unprecedented deployment will depend on the support of Turkey, whose president criticized a U.S. airdrop of arms to Kurdish fighters after some of the weapons wound up in the hands of the extremists.
Turkey, which has riled Kurdish leaders and frustrated Washington by refusing to allow fighters or weapons into Kobane, said this week it would help Iraqi Kurdish fighters cross into Syria to help their brethren against the militants, who also are being attacked by a U.S.-led campaign of airstrikes.
It is not clear how many fighters will be allowed in or whether they will be allowed to carry enough weapons to make an impact.
The Kurds of Syria and Iraq have become a major focal point in the war against the Islamic State group, with Kurdish populations in both countries coming under significant threat by the militants’ lightning advance.
Lt. Gen. Frederick Hodges, the outgoing commander of NATO’s Land Command in Izmir, Turkey, said the Turks have agreed to open up “a land bridge of sorts” so that the peshmerga can get into Kobane to help with the fighting there.
“It seems to me that between the United States, Turkey and other countries, they are figuring out what is permissible to make sure that (the Islamic State) is not successful and that it is something that Turkey can live with,” he added.
Anwar Muslim, a Kobane-based senior Kurdish official, praised the parliament’s decision, saying, “All help is welcome.” He said there seemed to be a solidifying international push to help Kobane combat the terrorists.
In August, Syrian and Iraqi Kurds took part in cross-border operations to rescue tens of thousands of displaced people from the Yazidi minority group under threat by militants in Iraq’s Sinjar Mountains.
The fight in Kobane also has grabbed the world’s attention and raised sympathy for the outgunned Kurds.
The overwhelming vote in the Kurdish parliament to send fighters to Kobane underscored growing cooperation between Kurds in these countries and marked a first mission for the peshmerga outside Iraq.
“This is a big turning point in Kurdish history,” said Youssef Mohammed, speaker of Iraq’s parliament. “Troops used to be sent to occupy Kurdish lands, but now we are sending soldiers to protect our Kurdish brothers abroad.”
