The British newspaper Financial Times (FT) reported Thursday the growing concern in the Turkish frontier province of Kilis, meters away from Syrian territory from the takfiri militants on the other side of the border.

The British newspaper Financial Times (FT) reported Thursday the growing concern in the Turkish frontier province of Kilis, meters away from Syrian territory from the takfiri militants on the other side of the border.

“You see those two white houses; those are al-Qaeda,” FT reported Nasir, a grizzled smuggler in his fifties, pointing out two hillside buildings he says are militant watch posts.

"He is referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as ISIL."

FT pointed out that ISIL is the fiercest, most brutal and most successful of al-Qaeda’s offshoots in Syria as it captured the town of Azaz, just 7km away, and a strategic point on the road to Aleppo, a prize to add to the oilfields it already controls.

The British newspaper reflected the complaint of one of the FSA militants who said that al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria have more funding than their own organizations and take up arms not just against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad but also against other rebel forces.

"They get money from abroad; we have to sleep under trees, both here and in Syria," FT quoted FSA militant.

Qaeda Rise

The newspaper noted that al-Qaeda’s rise in Syria is not just one of foreign funds and fighters.

"While Turkey has taken a more aggressive stance in recent months, it has been accused of not having done enough to contain the extremists’ rise."

Al-Qaeda-linked groups have also benefited from the fragmentation of an opposition in which it is far from the only perpetrator of atrocities, FT clarified.

"ISIL also deploys foreigners from as far away as Chechnya, Libya and Pakistan to establish its own independent state."

Ankara Involvement

Turkey has changed its stances towards Syria militants because of the mounting International criticism for the Turkish failure to diminish the takfiri peril, FT mentioned.

"Turkish PM Recep Tayyeb Erdogan has spoken out more explicitly against al-Qaeda operations in Syria. Turkey has moved to freeze the assets of al-Qaeda linked groups. "

"Last month, in its first exchange of fire with a rebel Syrian group, the Turkish army shelled Isis positions after a mortar landed in Kilis province. There was no such response when four Turkish citizens died in July and August as a result of cross-border shootings, widely presumed to be by al-Nusra."

Hearts Battle

ISIl is waging a campaign to win hearts and minds, said fighters and aid workers, including offering gifts of meat as well as subsidized bread, milk and nappies, they told FT.

Kilis's refugees and local inhabitants expect ISIL to fire more shells over from Syria, FT said.