Gargash condemns Turkey offensive in Syria,

▶ Nato, the UN and European countries also condemn incursion into Syrian territory under Kurdish control

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash joined the almost unanimous condemnation from across the Arab world against Turkey’s offensive in Syria, launched on Wednesday evening.

“The broad Arab condemnation of the Turkish aggression against Syria is not surprising,” the minister tweeted.

“The international position rejecting the Turkish aggression stems from the foundations of international law and a common realisation that this step will complicate the already complicated scene.”

State news agency Wam ran a statement from the Foreign Ministry describing the Turkish offensive as “a dangerous development and a blatant and unacceptable aggression against the sovereignty of an Arab state in contravention of the rules of international law”.

From across the Gulf region, almost all governments echoed Dr Gargash’s comments, with Saudi state TV saying the government was concerned at the developments and condemned the offensive.

Kuwait called the assault a direct threat to stability and peace in the region and called for restraint while Bahrain called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League to find a unified regional position on the aggression.

Egypt too called for an Arab League meeting and the body announced shortly after that there would be an emergency summit on Saturday to discuss the Turkish offensive.

Egypt’s foreign ministry on Wednesday “condemned in the strongest terms the Turkish aggression on Syrian territory” saying the offensive was “a blatant and unacceptable attack on the sovereignty of a brotherly Arab state”.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi discussed the Turkish offensive with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih in a phone call on Wednesday. “The Turkish aggression ... represents a dangerous development that threatens international peace and security and exacerbates the crisis situation in the region,” Egypt’s presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The Arab League, which has 22 member states and includes Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, said on Wednesday that Saturday’s meeting would be at ministerial level “to discuss the Turkish aggression” on Syrian territory.

“It constitutes an unacceptable attack on the sovereignty of an Arab member state of the league,” Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki said.

World governments also reacted with concern, and Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg urged Turkey to show restraint while acknowledging that Ankara had “legitimate security concerns”.

“It’s important to avoid actions that may further destabilise the region, escalate tensions and cause more human suffering,” Mr Stoltenberg said in Rome. The UN Security Council’s president, South African ambassador Jerry Matthews Matjila, also appealed to Turkey to protect civilians and exercise “maximum restraint”.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called the incursion into northern Syria a “bad idea”.

Mr Trump insisted Washington “does not endorse this attack”, despite having withdrawn US troops from the area in what was interpreted as approval for Turkey to assault the Americans’ chief allies in the war against ISIS.

This week, he said he would obliterate Turkey’s economy if Ankara went too far.

The US and the UK also expressed concern over the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in the region.

In a phone call before the launch of the offensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to “think carefully” before taking any action, “so as not to harm overall efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis”.

Mr Erdogan told Mr Putin that the offensive “will contribute to Syria’s peace and stability and ease the path to a political solution”.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker demanded a halt to the operation, telling Ankara the bloc would not pay for any “safe zone” that might be created.

Mr Juncker told the European Parliament that he recognised Turkey had “security concerns” along the border.

But he said that the military action would not lead to a “good result”, saying a political solution was the only way to end the Syrian conflict.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said: “Turkey is willingly risking further destabilising the region and a resurgence of ISIS.

“Syria needs stability and a political process. However, the Turkish offensive now threatens to cause a new humanitarian disaster.”

Mr Maas said that Berlin would “urge Turkey to end its offensive and to pursue its security interests peacefully”.

French Foreign Minister JeanYves Le Drian said the offensive “must stop”.

“It calls into question the security and humanitarian efforts of the coalition against Daesh and risks undermining Europeans’ security,” Mr Le Drian said.

French European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin earlier said France, Germany and Britain were working on a joint declaration that “will be extremely clear on the fact that we very strongly condemn” the Turkish campaign.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressed “serious concerns about the military action that Turkey has taken”.