PARIS — French Defense Minister Florence Parly on Sunday pressed Turkey to stop its offensive against Kurdish militia fighting in Syria, saying the fighters were a key ally against terrorism in the war-torn country.

“This fighting... must stop,” Parly told France 3 television, adding that the Turkish offensive could “deter Kurdish forces who are at the side” of the international coalition battling jihadists in Syria.

Her comments came as Turkish ground troops entered northern Syria on Sunday to push an offensive against the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a terror group.

But Parly said the Kurdish militants had been a crucial ally in fighting extremists such as the Daesh group.

“Our priority is the fight against terrorism,” Parly said.

“As a result, anything that could deter the fighters of this battle is a bad thing.”

She added: “What is essential is the fight against terrorism and all this fighting, notably that which is taking place in a terrible fashion near Idlib and elsewhere, must stop.”

The Turkish campaign risks further increasing tensions with NATO allies including the United States, which has supported the YPG in the fight against Daesh.

Operation “Olive Branch”, in the Afrin region, is Turkey’s second major incursion into Syria during the seven-year civil war.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over Syria following the Turkish incursion into northern Syria’s Afrin province,

“Ghouta, Idlib, Afrin — France asks for an urgent meeting of the Security Council,” Le Drian said on his Twitter feed. He added that he had spoken with his Turkish counterpart on Sunday morning. — Agencies