After more than 3½ years of bloodshed, Syria is still locked in a serious crisis that has upended regional and global calculations. The latest episode of the drama is being staged in the Kurdish town of Kobani in northern Syria, where almost every day a new international strategic game is played out. Neighboring Turkey sits at the very center of the conflict due to its unfortunate geopolitical position.

The international community frequently accuses Turkey of being a "double-crossing coalition partner" in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). Yet sometimes, Western governments take a softer approach and express sympathy for Turkey’s delicate position, saying they understand Ankara’s concerns. Among those adopting the latter position is France.

French President Francois Hollande met with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Paris Oct. 31 to discuss the crisis in Syria, as well as the immediate issue of Kobani.

At a joint news conference with Hollande, Erdogan said he did not understand why the international coalition's attacks have focused mostly on Kobani instead of the Syrian cities of Hama and Homs, or even Iraq. He asked why the coalition is hitting IS targets in Kobani when there are only 2,000 fighters defending the town.