NEW DELHI: India, in a rare move, weighed in on unfolding events in the Middle East openly criticising Turkey's military action against Syria .Calling upon Turkey to "exercise restraint and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria" a sternly worded statement by the MEA spokesperson said, "Turkey’s actions can undermine stability in the region and the fight against terrorism. Its action also has the potential for causing humanitarian and civilian distress."India does not normally call out specific countries and definitely not in the complex theatre that is the Middle East. Turkey has launched attacks against the US-allied Kurdish fighters in north-east Syria. Turkey could because the US abandoned the Kurds who had fought with them against groups like ISIS after a conversation between US president Donald Trump and Erdogan.Using air and ground weapons, Turkey has pushed further into Syria on the second day of its offensive. Describing Turkey's military offensive as "unilateral", the MEA said India was "deeply concerned". "We urge the peaceful settlement of all issues through dialogue and discussion."Turkey’s relations with India have nosedived after Turkey stood with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue after India’s August 5 decision. In yet another statement earlier this week, MEA spokesperson chided Turkey for its statements on Kashmir. “We deeply regret that since August 6, there have been repeated statements by the Turkish government on a matter completely internal to India. These statements are factually incorrect, biased and unwarranted. We call upon Turkish government to get a proper understanding of the situation before making any further comments.”Signalling displeasure during his recent visit to the UNGA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it a point to sit down with the leaders of Greece, Armenia and Cyprus as a pointed snub to Turkey. Last week, reports said India had cancelled a project by Turkish defence company, Anadolu Shipyard to build support ships for the Indian navy, and barred the Turkish company from the huge Indian defence market.