As ISIS militants seem poised to take the strategic city of Kobani at the Turkish-Syrian border , violent protests have broken out in Turkey , leaving some demonstrators dead . The death toll has reached 19 , Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Wednesday . Another 145 people have been injured , and 388 have been arrested , he said . Thousands of people have taken to the streets for the protests , at times ignoring curfews set by the government . Some demonstrators died in clashes between rival groups , authorities said . Others died in clashes with police . A new security office will work around the clock to improve security in the country , Davutoglu said . The protesters , many of them Kurds , are calling on the Turkish government to take tough action against ISIS , and to allow Turkish fighters to go across the border and fight ISIS militants . President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said ground troops are needed in the fight against the Islamist militants . He wants a no-fly zone and a safe haven area established , and has called for the arming of opposition groups in Iraq and Syria . Turkey 's tough choice : Take on ISIS or the PKK ? `` Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse pro-Kurdish protesters across the country who had set up barricades , set fire to buses and cars and attacked police with fireworks and stones , '' the semi-official Anadolu news agency reported . Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said protesters are supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers ' Party , which he called a terrorist group . The protests invite terror and chaos to Turkey , he said , according to Anadolu .
19 dead , 145 injured , and 388 arrested , Turkish PM says . As ISIS moves in on Kobani across the border , violent protests break out in Turkey . Demonstrators want Turkey to do more against ISIS as it closes in on Kobani .