The Netherlands has condemned the Turkish offensive in north-eastern Turkey and summoned the Turkish ambassador to make the Dutch position plain.

‘Unilateral action does not help and no-one is served by the possible terrible humanitarian consequences,’ foreign minister Stef Blok said in a short statement. ‘The operation may lead to the creation of new refugee streams and damage the fight against ISIS as well as stability in the region.’

The Netherlands is talking to its Nato and EU allies and welcomes the decision by France and Britain to call on the UN Security Council, Blok said. ‘Our priority now is to get clarity about the consequences of the operation and to decide follow-up steps.’

Nederland veroordeelt het Turkse offensief in Noordoost-Syrië. Ik heb de Turkse ambassadeur laten ontbieden. Roepen Turkije op de ingeslagen weg niet te vervolgen. pic.twitter.com/Xjnczqqm4i

— Stef Blok (@ministerBlok) October 9, 2019

Turkish troops began advancing into into north-eastern Syria on Wednesday, after launching a number of airstrikes at the US-backed Kurdish forces who control the region.

US president Donald Trump said on Sunday night US troops would withdraw from the region even though Kurdish forces have fought alongside the US against Isis in the region for nearly five years.