Turkey’s military operation in northeast Syria is a violation of the country’s territorial integrity, the Arab League’s secretary general has argued.

Ankara’s actions constitute an “invasion of an Arab state’s land and an aggression on its sovereignty," Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Saturday.

His organization, incorporating 22 member states, held an emergency meeting at ministerial level on Saturday to discuss the incursion into Syrian territory.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Alhakim, the president of the current Arab League session, condemned Ankara’s offensive and called on the League to reinstate Syria’s membership of the body. Damascus was suspended from the organization in 2011, after the government was accused of carrying out a brutal crackdown on protesters.

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Turkey launched its military operation against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria on Wednesday, following US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops stationed in the region. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the operation aims to put an end to a “terror corridor” at his country's southern border. By creating a “safe zone,” Turkey can help facilitate the return of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, he added.

Many countries – including Turkey’s own NATO allies – have harshly criticized the military operation. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Moscow believes that “forces deployed illegitimately” inside Syria must leave the country.

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