CDU spokesman Hardt calls on Turkey to withdraw from Afrin

A spokesman for Germany’s ruling Christian Democratic Union called Turkey to withdraw its forces from Afrin on Wednesday.

Speaking to Deutschlandfunk radio Jürgen Hardt said he could only "urge" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "to end the operation in northern Syria”.

Describing Turkey’s actions against YPG in Afrin as “not proportional” Hardt advised Turkey to “focus on securing the Turkish-Syrian border”. The Turkish government is, therefore "well advised to withdraw quickly from this mission now".

The federal government had withheld criticism of the Turkish attacks on Afrin for a long time.

On Tuesday evening, the Foreign Office called on all parties to end the fighting there and in the Syrian rebel stronghold of East Ghuta but avoided a demand for a Turkish troop withdrawal.