France, Germany demand end to Turkish assault on northern Syria

France and Germany have called for an end to Turkey’s assault against Syrian Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – France and Germany have called for an end to Turkey’s assault against Syrian Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Sunday to discuss developments in Syria.

“We have a common desire that this offensive ends,” Macron stated, reiterating his warning that the continued Turkish offensive would create a humanitarian catastrophe as well as encourage the so-called Islamic State to return.

Merkel, meanwhile, had earlier spoken to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the phone, calling for an immediate end to the military operation.

Both France and Germany announced an end of arms exports to Turkey amid mounting international pressure.

Related Article: France, Germany halt arms exports to Turkey amid offensive against Kurds in Syria

Elsewhere on Sunday, the Kurdish-led self-administration in northern Syria confirmed it had reached a deal with Damascus and Moscow for the Syrian army to protect the nation’s northern border with Turkey after the United States announced it was withdrawing all remaining troops from the country.

Read More: US says it is withdrawing forces from Syria, amid growing chaos 

The administration said that the decision came after five days of Turkish operations resulted in the “most heinous crimes against unarmed civilians have been committed.” 

On Sunday, a Turkish airstrike killed 11 and injured over 70 when it hit a civilian convoy.  

Read More: Turkish airstrike on civilian convoy in Syria kills 11, wounds over 70, including journalists 

Turkish warplanes and artillery began shelling Syria’s predominantly Kurdish northeastern town of Serekaniye on Wednesday in an offensive Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called “Operation Peace Spring.”

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 54 civilians have been killed since the start of the offensive.