Merkel demands immediate end to Turkey's offensive in Syria

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday called for an immediate end of the Turkish military operation in northern Syria in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to a statement by a German government spokesperson, the phone call was made at the request of Erdogan.

Merkel told Erdogan that regardless of Turkey's legitimate security interests, the offensive threatens to displace a large part of the local population, destabilize the region, and lead to the resurgence of the ISIS (Islamic State).

The two leaders also discussed the situation in the Syrian province of Idlib and the Turkish gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the statement.