France threatens EU sanctions against Turkey

People carry the coffin of a toddler, killed in Thursday's mortar attack, during the funeral ceremony in Turkey's Akcakale on Friday. Pic/AFP

Paris: France on Friday said EU sanctions against Turkey over its offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria are "obviously on the table". Europe minister Amelie de Montchalin said potential reprisals over Turkey's incursion into Syria would be debated during a European Council meeting next week.

"You can imagine that we're not going to stay on our side of the table and say, 'Well you know, we recognise that things are complicated'," she said. Sweden's parliament has demanded an EU arms embargo, Reuters reported, while EU Council President Donald Tusk slammed Turkey for threatening to flood Europe with refugees.

"We'll never accept that refugees are weaponised and used to blackmail us," he said. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has warned Turkey to halt its incursion in Syria, saying it could have "serious consequences" for Ankara, the Pentagon said.

'7 Syrian civilians killed in assault'

Seven civilians were killed on Friday in Turkish assault in northeastern Syria, a war monitor said, while a UK-based monitor said a total of 17 civilians have been killed since Wednesday. Meanwhile, Turkey said it lost one soldier in the fighting.

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