ISTANBUL (REUTERS) – Turkey launched a military operation against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria on Wednesday (Oct 8).

Here are some reactions to the operation:

UNITED NATIONS

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any military operation must fully respect the UN Charter and international humanitarian law.

Spokesman Farhan Haq said: “Civilians and civilian infrastructure should be protected. The secretary-general believes that there’s no military solution to the Syrian conflict.”

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker urged Turkey to show restraint and stop its military operation. “If the plan involves the creation of a so-called safe zone, don’t expect the EU to pay for any of it,” he said.

NATO

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he hoped Turkey’s operations in Syria would be measured and proportionate.

EGYPT

Egypt’s foreign ministry condemned the offensive as “a blatant and unacceptable attack on the sovereignty of a brotherly Arab state”. It called for an emergency meeting of the League of Arab States.

GERMANY

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Turkey’s operation would lead to further destabilisation of the region and could strengthen Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). He urged Turkey to end the operation.

FRANCE

France’s European affairs minister Amelie de Montchalin said France and Britain would call a UN Security Council meeting over the Turkish offensive. France, Germany and Britain are finalising a joint statement condemning the advance.

ITALY

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the operation risked destabilising the region and harming civilians.

DENMARK

Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod tweeted: “Deeply concerned about Turkish military operation in Syria. In my view, this is a regrettable and wrong decision, which can have serious consequences for civilians and the fight against ISIS. Turkey must show restraint. Denmark is in close contact with allies on the matter.”

THE NETHERLANDS

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok summoned the Turkish ambassador and said: “The Netherlands condemns the Turkish offensive in northeast Syria. “We call on Turkey not to continue on the path they are going down.”

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