The German government has called on Turkey to act “proportional” and in accordance with international law, regarding the country’s intense air strikes on Kurdish regions in north and east Syria and northern Iraq.

German Foreign Ministry Spokesman Christofer Burger in a government briefing said, “Like everyone else involved, we call on Turkey not to do anything that would further aggravate the already tense situation in northern Syria and Iraq.”

Burger addressed “extremely worrying” reports of civilian victims in Turkish Armed Forces’ air raids. “Civilians must be protected at all times,” he said.

Germany’s Greens politicians Jürgen Trittin and Max Lucks had declared on Sunday that Turkey’s attacks violated international law.

Lucks said, “There is no justification for breaking international law. Therefore there is no justification for the new Turkey bombings in Syria and Iraq. The destabilisation of an entire region by a NATO partner is completely unacceptable.”

Left Party Co-Chair of the European Parliament Martin Schirdewan had also condemned Turkish airstrikes and called on the German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser to cancel her visit to Turkey scheduled for Monday.

Protests against Turkey’s attacks took place in several different German cities on Sunday, along with other European cities.

Turkish air strikes, that began in the early hours of Sunday on north and east Syria and northern Iraq, continue into Monday.