Turkish ambassador: It's not just about Kobani

We strongly reject the groundless and unfair accusations against Turkey regarding the recent developments in the Syrian border city of Kobani.

I wish things were as simple as they are presented, but unfortunately they are not, and this "name and shame" game should stop.

Turkey has already declared its willingness to support the international coalition against ISIL. This was demonstrated through the authorization granted by the Turkish Parliament to the Turkish government for potential actions we may take on Syria and Iraq in the period ahead.

The events in Kobani cannot be disassociated from the entirety of the Syrian conflict. Trying to read a conflict that has claimed more than 200,000 lives only through the developments in Kobani is not correct.

As we have been emphasizing from the outset, we cannot achieve security and stability in Syria without addressing the Assad regime, which bears responsibility for the emergence and growth of the ISIL threat. Therefore, we should not view ISIL and the regime separately during our efforts.

Turkey is already hosting over 1.5 million Syrians in its territory and has spent more than $3.5 billion. We have welcomed 190,000 Kurds and other ethnicities from the Kobani region alone in just two days.

We cannot shoulder another wave of people fleeing ISIL. This is why we deem it vital to establish safe areas inside Syria, protected by no-fly zones, for settling the Syrian displaced population safely back in Syria.

Despite the risks, Turkey continues to maintain an open-door policy for people coming to its borders, regardless of their ethnic identity.

Humanitarian aid is being sent to the Kobani region. Turkey also retaliated against the threats and attacks from ISIL in conformity with its rules of engagement.

Friendly countries should not be selective in their sensitivities while reflecting upon the reactions of their public opinion. Turkey's sensitivity is not exclusively limited to a certain region or group in Syria.

After all it is we, the Turkish people, who are living here at the center of all of this, not thousands of miles away.

Serdar Kılıç is the Turkish ambassador to the United States.