Germany on Wednesday urged Turkey to halt a military operation in northern Syria, saying the incursion would destabilise the country and risked helping a resurgence of the Islamic State militant group.
“Turkey is risking a further detribalization of the region and a reinvigoration of Islamic State,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement. “The Turkish offensive could lead to a new humanitarian disaster as well as new refugee flows.”
He added: “We urge Turkey to end its operation and to pursue its security interests in a peaceful way.”