MORE than 15,000 ISIS fanatics will be SET FREE if Turkey follows through on a threat to attack Kurds in Syria, officials have warned.

Kurdish leaders said their overstretched army can't repel a Turkish invasion and guard the prisoners the same time.

Politician Aldar Xelil said: "Either we will fight the Turks or guard the prisoners.

"We cannot do both together."

It comes after Turkish strongman president Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned he would "eliminate" the Kurdish army in Syria "very soon".

He vowed: "Turkey has the right to eliminate all threats against its national security.

"God willing, we will carry the process started with Afrin and Jarablus [previous offensives into Syria] to the next stage very soon."

Kurds have begged Western nations including the UK to ease pressure on them by accepting the return of jihadis who fled to join ISIS and are now in jail.

An estimated 15,000 foreigners with links to ISIS are being held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units.

Experts warned Nato was unlikely to step in to help if Turkey did launch an attack.

One western diplomat told the Telegraph: "The US does not want to abandon an ally in a time of need, but it is also not about to kill Nato member troops

"There has to be a pragmatism, the US was never going to be able to support a Kurdish state with no international recognition."

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