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Carl Drott is a freelance journalist based in Stockholm, Sweden. While focusing on the Kurdish-dominated areas of the Middle East, his main thematic interest is on-the-ground developments in armed conflict. He holds a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Oxford and has served as a sergeant in the Swedish Armed Forces, including a tour in Kosovo. He visited Kobani, Syria for ten days in August/September.
In the ongoing fighting in and around Kobani in northern Syria, it appears likely that the defending Kurdish forces will ultimately prevail and be able to expel the Islamic State (ISIS). However, in order to enable refugees to return, substantial aid and reconstruction efforts will be needed, and more benign Turkish border policies are essential in the meantime.
