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Kurdish fighters have refused to fight against the Syrian government in return for Turkish and NATO help to defend the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani against the Takfiri ISIL group, an analyst tells Press TV.

“That was the carrot that was dangled in front of their (the Kurds’) nose by [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan and NATO that if you join the armed opposition - i.e. the death squad movement - against the Syrian government, then we’ll help you a little bit in Kobani,” said Sukant Chandon, a political commentator, in an interview with Press TV on Tuesday.

“The (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) PKK and YPG (a group of Kurdish fighters) have refused that and have refused to go into a military confrontation in line and in harmony with Western strategic interests. And I respect them for that,” he added.

The remarks come following Turkey’s recent bombing of positions held by the PKK in the southeast of the country in what the Kurds consider a violation of a ceasefire agreement signed between the PKK and the Turkish government in March 2013.

The PKK is a Kurdish organization that was until 2013 involved in an armed militancy against Turkey for Kurdish self-determination.

Analysts say the recent bombing of PKK positions by Turkey is in fact “de facto support” for the Takfiri ISIL group, which is launching attacks on the strategic Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani near the border with Turkey.

In addition, the United States is leading airstrikes against the ISIL militants near Kobani. The aerial attacks, by a coalition of the US and its allies, began last month, but have largely been ineffective, only serving to slow down the militants’ advance into the city.

The United Nations’ envoy to Syria has warned that thousands of people will most likely be massacred if Kobani falls into the hands of the Takfiri ISIL militants.