Turkish Army Tanks On The Turkish-Syrian Border Near Suruc, Sanliurfa Province
Turkish army tanks take up position on the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province October 6, 2014. Reuters/Umit Bektas

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO, has promised to protect Turkey, a member state, in the event the fighting between ISIS militants and Kurdish forces in Syria will spill over the border. Reports said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Oct. 6 that the main responsibility of the organisation is to protect all member countries.

Stoltenberg told a news conference in Poland that NATO is ready to defend Turkey's borders. He said the threat of ISIS was the reason why NATO has deployed Patriot missiles in Turkey. The missiles will boost and strengthen the country's defences.

ISIS militants were seen raising the group's flag on the outskirts of Kobani, a town in Syria located six miles away from Turkish border. According to reports, stray fire from the fighting in the town has reached Turkish land.

Meanwhile, Turkey released two British jihadists, who were among the country's militant prisoners, in exchange for the diplomats kidnapped by ISIS. In a report by The Times (subscription required), British counter-terroism officers are investigating the two jihadists, 18-year-old Shabazz Suleman and 26-year-old Hisham Folkard.

Reports said they were among the 180 fighters traded with ISIS as part of the deal to secure the freedom of Turkish diplomats. The diplomats were captured five months ago in Mosul, Iraq, along with 46 Turkish citizens and three Iraqi consular staff.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously announced that hostages were released after a peaceful "covert operation" with no ransom money paid. However, the president had hinted that a deal had been made although he told reporters it would take "some effort" to prepare for it.

Several news agencies have reported the hostage swap following reports of Turkey hitting back at U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. The U.S. vice president had accuserd the Turkish government of supporting the Sunni extremists.

Last week at Harvard University, Biden had said Turkey contributed to the rise of ISIS by funding the jihadists as well as supplying them to fight Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In a televised speech, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu declared that Turkey will not take accept Biden's remarks. Biden has since apologized for his remarks.