The European Union must maintain a united stance on conflict-wracked Syria and the Turkish offensive in the north of the conflict-wracked country, officials cited Italy and France as saying on Monday.
Italy's foreign minister and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian agreed on the need for European unity over Syria at a bilateral meeting ahead of a EU foreign ministers summit in Luxembourg, said the officials.
Italy and France will ask Turkey to immediately halt military operations in northeast Syria, which they condemn, and which threaten progress in the global fight against the Islamic State jihadist group, Di Maio and Le Drian agreed, according to the officials.
The Turkish aerial offensive which began last week, is also intensifying the suffering of civilians and jeopardising humanitarian work in the area, Di Maio and Le Drian said, cited by the officials .
The two ministers underlined that there can only be a political solution to the Syrian conflict, the officials added.
Italy has played an active role in battling IS, the officials underlined.
The beleaguered Kurds on Sunday reluctantly agreed to hand over key cities to Syrian government forces in exchange for protection. The deal threatens to open a new front in Syria's nine-year civil war and to signal the end of United States and European military deployments in the area, according to observers.
Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring started last Wednesday after US president Donald Trump said that US forces would withdraw from the region. The offensive against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) has caused an international outcry and left dozens of civilians and fighters dead.
