Tensions are high in Turkey, where Kurds have fought a three-decade battle for autonomy and where Syria's violence has taken a heavy toll.
Protests were reported in cities across Turkey yesterday, after Isis fighters backed by tanks and artillery engaged in heavy street battles with Kurdish defenders.
Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Istanbul and in the town of Kucuk Kenderciler, near Kobane on the Turkish side of the border. One person in Istanbul was hospitalised after being hit in the head by a gas canister, Dogan reported.
Some protesters accused Turkey's Government of collaborating with the Islamic militants.
Authorities declared a curfew in six towns in Mardin, the Anadolu Agency reported.
In Brussels, about 50 protesters smashed a glass door and pushed past police to get into the European Parliament. The protesters were received by Parliament president Martin Schulz, who promised to discuss the Kurds' plight with Nato and EU leaders.
In Germany, home to Western Europe's largest Kurdish population, about 600 people demonstrated in Berlin, according to police. Hundreds demonstrated in other German cities. Austria, too, saw protests.
Kurds peacefully occupied the Dutch Parliament for several hours yesterday, and met MPs to press for more Dutch action against the insurgents, local media reported.
Yesterday a senior UN official warned the grave humanitarian crisis in Iraq would become "a deadly life-threatening situation" if shelter was not found for more than 160,000 people in Kurdistan before winter arrives in about six weeks.
Kevin Kennedy, the deputy humanitarian co-ordinator in Iraq, also told a news conference by video link from the Kurdish capital, Erbil, that getting aid to half a million people in need of support in Anbar province, where Isis continues to capture territory, was very difficult.
Last month, the UN World Food Programme was able to feed 100,000 people in Anbar in a challenging operation, and Kennedy said that "if we're not able to get sufficient assistance there the people will suffer, no question," as temperatures started to plummet.
Kennedy said US$300 million was needed for winter tents, which cost up to US$8000 ($10,200) each, as well as kerosene for heating and winter clothing and boots for tens of thousands of people who fled the fighting with only the clothes on their backs.
Who are the Kurds?
The Kurds are an ethnic group with their own language and customs whose nomadic past led to their modern-day dispersal across several countries, mostly Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia. Sunni Muslims make up the vast majority, but there is a sizeable Shia population, particularly in Iran. Iraq, Iran and Turkey each agreed against the creation of an independent Kurdistan, making them the largest stateless minority group in the world. With nearly 25 million people living in five countries, they continue to push for self-rule.
What is their role in Turkey?
Turkey is home to an estimated 15 million Kurds, about one-fifth of the country's population of 76 million. Most are Sunni Muslim. An insurgent group, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has fought a three-decade war, initially for independence and later for autonomy and greater rights for Kurds. The conflict with the PKK has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984.
Where do they stand in Iraq?
Five million Kurds have their own Government in Iraq's semi-autonomous north and have significant representation in the central Government with several key posts including the presidency, which is allocated to Kurds. They currently represent about 20 per cent of Iraq's population, making them the largest ethnic minority. There are two main Iraqi Kurdish factions: the Kurdistan Democratic Party is led by Kurdish Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is led by former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
Who are the Peshmerga?
The Kurdish military, known as the Peshmerga, has been a major force in repelling the Isis (Islamic State) onslaught in recent months, with nearly a dozen countries rushing to its aid with weapons and training in the absence of genuine support from a strained Iraqi military.
Where do the Kurds stand in Syria?
Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria, making up more than 10 per cent of the country's prewar population of 23 million people. They are centred in the impoverished northeastern province of Hassakeh, wedged between the borders of Turkey and Iraq. The Kurdish Democratic Union party, or PYD, is the most powerful political force among Syria's Kurds.
