The final statement issued by the emergency meeting of the Arab League Council called on Turkey to stop what it called aggression and to withdraw immediately and unconditionally from all Syrian territories. Intellectuals and diplomats from the Arab and Muslim world called on the United Nations to stand by Turkey.
The Council decided to consider urgent measures to respond to the Turkish move, including the reduction of diplomatic relations, the suspension of military cooperation and the review of the level of economic, cultural and tourism relations with Ankara.
The statement considered the emergency Arab ministerial meeting that any Syrian effort to address the Turkish move is an inherent right to the principle of self-defense, while both Qatar and Somalia have reservations on the statement.
For his part, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim condemned the military operation, and demanded the return of Syria's membership to the Arab League.
During the emergency meeting of the Arab League Council, which was held on Saturday with an Egyptian invitation to discuss the situation regarding the "spring of peace", Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil condemned the Turkish operation and demanded the return of Syria to the League membership. He also called for a summit with the participation of Syria to discuss the threats facing Arab countries.
For his part, Secretary General of the League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that the Turkish operation "an invasion of the territory of an Arab state and an aggression on its sovereignty."
It is noteworthy that Damascus was absent from participating in the ministerial meeting, which discusses the situation in the country because of the freeze of its membership since 2012.
On the other hand, intellectuals and diplomats from the Arab and Islamic world yesterday called on the United Nations to stand with Turkey and support the process of "spring of peace" launched by Ankara.
This came in an explanatory note issued by the Forum of Thought and Strategic Studies signed by 103 intellectuals, diplomats and academics.
Among the signatories are former Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, former Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi al-Jabali, Syria's Muslim Brotherhood observer general Mohamed Hikmat Walid, and Kuwaiti parliamentarian Nasser al-Duwaila.
In a memorandum sent to the UN Secretary-General, the Forum said that the initiative of Turkey and its partners in the Syrian National Army (opposition) aims to create a safe area for Syrian refugees to return voluntarily.
He added that the facts proved that Turkey is the only country that protects Syrian civilians, and is working for the return of displaced people to their cities and villages, as happened in the areas of the Euphrates Shield and the olive branch.
On Wednesday, the Turkish army, with the participation of the Syrian National Army, launched Operation "Spring of Peace" in the area east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria to "cleanse" those he described as terrorist groups and establish a safe area for the return of Syrian refugees to their country.