Turkey was further criticized in this period for allowing individuals from outside the region to enter its territory and join ISIL in Syria . With many Islamist fighters passing through Turkey to fight in Syria , in August 2014 Turkey was accused by the '' Daily Mail '' of becoming a transit country for such fighters ; the mail labeled Turkey the " Gateway to Jihad " . Turkish border patrol officers are reported to have deliberately overlooked those entering Syria upon the payment of a small bribe . A report by Sky News exposed documents showing that passports of foreign Islamists wanting to join ISIL by crossing into Syria had been stamped by the Turkish government . American website '' Al-Monitor '' stated in June 2014 that Turkey , during the Syrian Civil War , by " ignoring its own border security " , had allowed its Syrian border to become a " jihadist highway " for ISIL to let thousands of international jihadists , and other supplies , reach Syria . British newspaper '' The Guardian '' stated that Turkey late 2014 " for many months did little to stop foreign recruits crossing its border to Isis " . An ISIL commander stated that " most of the fighters who joined us in the beginning of the war came via Turkey , and so did our equipment and supplies " , adding that ISIL fighters received treatment in Turkish hospitals . After the 2015 attacks at Paris , President Barack Obama administration told the Turkish government to close its borders to ISIS fighters . A USA senior official said in the Wall Street Journal " The game has changed . Enough is enough . The border needs to be sealed , " " This is an international threat , and it 's coming out of Syria and it 's coming through Turkish territory . " Francis Ricciardone , United States Ambassador to Turkey from 2011 to 2014 , told in an interview at 2014 that Turkey has directly supported al-Qaeda in Syria . Turkish authorities supported and helped extremist Islamist groups like al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham . He also added that he tried to persuade the Turkish government to close its borders to the extremists , but to no avail . He accused Turkey that allowed its borders to be used as a conduit for aid , weapons and volunteers and did nothing to distinguish between " moderate " groups and extremists
2015 attacks at Paris
November 2015 Paris attacks
Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War