French President Emmanuel Macron is encouraging the European Union to condemn Turkey because of its offensive in Syria.
Macron warned while speaking in Brussels Thursday before an EU summit that the invasion could allow the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to reemerge, The Associated Press reported. He is asking the EU to agree “all together to stop arms exports to the Turks.”
{mosads} “I want us to speak again with a united, clear and firm voice to condemn this attack,” Macron told reporters.
The French president added that EU should work internationally to stop a Turkey offensive that is “creating a real humanitarian drama and risks sparking a resurgence of” ISIS, according to the news wire.
Countries in the EU have agreed to stop exporting arms to Turkey, but it did not implement an official EU-wide arms embargo.
Turkey began its offensive into Syria after President Trump announced the removal of U.S. troops from the country. Ankara had been wanting to launch an offensive against the Kurds, who it associates with a domestic terrorist group.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened last week to release 3.6 million refugees into Europe if the countries described the offensive as an “occupation.”
Trump’s move has sparked bipartisan outrage that the U.S. may be perceived as abandoning its allies the Kurds, who helped the U.S. fight ISIS.