After Germany and the Netherlands, France has now also temporarily stopped exporting weapons to Turkey. This is not a total ban but only concerns types of weapons that can be used in the Turkish invasion against the Kurds in northern Syria.
On Monday, a decision will be made on whether the EU and NATO will do the same. All Foreign Ministers of the EU member states are consulting on the European Union's position on this matter.
France has warned Ankara that the offensive in Syria endangers European security. The Arab League called for an end to the aggression and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Turkey from all Syrian territories.
The army of Turkey has been conducting a large operation in Syria since Wednesday, in which hundreds of Kurdish fighters are said to have already died. There are also images circulating of massacres along the highway and bombings of residential neighborhoods.
Turkish President Erdogan wants to establish a 'safe zone' in northern Syria. That area borders Kurdish regions in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey, and is partly controlled by a Kurdish-led coalition. Erdogan views this group of Kurds as an extension of the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by several countries.
The Kurds in northern Syria have successfully supported American troops and NATO units in the fight against the jihadists of the IS caliphate over recent years. The Kurds now guard multiple prisons where fighters of the Islamic State (IS) are held. There are fears that the Turkish attack on the Kurds will lead to the escape or release of those IS fighters.
Due to the violence, one hundred thousand people have fled northern Syria since Wednesday. Many are moving southward.
The international community has condemned the Turkish action. In response, Erdogan threatens to stop hosting the millions of Syrian refugees who have arrived in Turkey in recent years and want to continue on to Europe.
In several European cities on Saturday, thousands of Kurds took to the streets to protest against the Turkish invasion of Kurdish areas.