Updated

Tens of thousands of Kurds are rallying in Turkish cities in solidarity with the embattled Syrian city of Kobani, which has been under a brutal siege by the Islamic State group.

In Diyarbakir, in the heart of the Kurdish region in Turkey's southeast, protesters marched peacefully, chanting: "Long live the struggle for Kobani."

The assault on Kobani has largely emptied the city that was once home to hundreds of thousands.

In villages along Turkey's border with Syria Kurds, including refugees from Kobani, marched within eyeshot of their former home.

One demonstrator, Fatima Muslim said: "I came to show my support for my people and for the blood of our people."

The 55-year-old added: "We've lost everything. They blew up our houses. And now we are in a refugee camp."