<p>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed his "deep concern" at the spiralling violence in Syria a day after Turkey launched an offensive in Kurdish-controlled areas.</p>.<p>"I want to express my deep concern about the escalation of conflicts we are witnessing in eastern Syria," Guterres told a press conference in Copenhagen.</p>.<p>He said any solution to the conflict needed "to respect the sovereignty of the territory and the unity of Syria".</p>.<p>His remarks came as the five European members of the UN Security Council -- France, Germany, Britain, Belgium and Poland -- called on Ankara to halt its military operation against Syrian Kurdish forces.</p>.<p>The Turkish military, supported by Syrian proxies, began its offensive in northeastern Syria on Wednesday, shortly after the US withdrew its troops from the area -- a move which effectively saw America abandon its Kurdish allies in the fight against Islamic State (IS).</p>.<p>Turkey says its operation is aimed at pushing back Syrian Kurdish forces, which it considers "terrorists", and establishing a "safe zone" for the return of Syrian refugees.</p>.<p>But the intervention has sparked international anger, raising fears of a new refugee crisis and concern that thousands of jihadists being held in Syrian Kurdish prisons could use the opportunity to escape.</p>
<p>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed his "deep concern" at the spiralling violence in Syria a day after Turkey launched an offensive in Kurdish-controlled areas.</p>.<p>"I want to express my deep concern about the escalation of conflicts we are witnessing in eastern Syria," Guterres told a press conference in Copenhagen.</p>.<p>He said any solution to the conflict needed "to respect the sovereignty of the territory and the unity of Syria".</p>.<p>His remarks came as the five European members of the UN Security Council -- France, Germany, Britain, Belgium and Poland -- called on Ankara to halt its military operation against Syrian Kurdish forces.</p>.<p>The Turkish military, supported by Syrian proxies, began its offensive in northeastern Syria on Wednesday, shortly after the US withdrew its troops from the area -- a move which effectively saw America abandon its Kurdish allies in the fight against Islamic State (IS).</p>.<p>Turkey says its operation is aimed at pushing back Syrian Kurdish forces, which it considers "terrorists", and establishing a "safe zone" for the return of Syrian refugees.</p>.<p>But the intervention has sparked international anger, raising fears of a new refugee crisis and concern that thousands of jihadists being held in Syrian Kurdish prisons could use the opportunity to escape.</p>