Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told the European Union that “it cannot call an invasion of Turkey’s military operation”. Operation Fuente de la Paz, launched on 9 October, has alarmed the European authorities. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has been one of the authorities who criticised Turkey’s entry into the Syrian conflict: “Turkey has risked because this attack can help the Islamic State rebuild its Califa Herria.”

The Syrian Observatory on Human Rights has reported that there are already dozens of deaths in the military assault on Turkey: 23 members of the Syrian Democratic Forces and three of the Kurdish militias have died. In addition, the agency has also reported the civilian deaths that have occurred in recent hours. Meryem Koban, who was a member of the YPJ women's militia, has asked for help to stop the Turkish offensive in an interview with Turkish newspaper Berria.

Turkey and the EU have an agreement signed in 2015 for the flow of refugees in Europe to be controlled by Ankara in exchange for Europe to grant it subsidies. Erdogan has accused the European institution of "not having kept its word" in a statement he criticised.