France's Macron 'very worried' over Turkey operation in Syria: Presidency

French President Emmanuel Macron is very worried at the prospect of a Turkish army operation into areas controlled by Kurdish forces in northern Syria, his office said Wednesday.

Macron met senior Syrian Kurdish official Ilham Ahmed at the Elysee Palace on Monday "to show that France stands alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as they are partners in the fight against Daesh (Islamic State group) and that we are very worried by the possibility of a Turkish operation in Syria," a presidential aide told AFP.

The aide added that Paris would "pass on these messages" to the Turkish authorities.

Macron has on occasion irritated Turkey by hosting in Paris members of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council.

Ankara insists such groups are merely fronts for the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), an arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has waged a three-and-a-half decade insurgency against Turkey.

The Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria called up civilians on Wednesday to defend the region against a feared Turkish assault.

Ankara said Tuesday it would "shortly" begin an offensive into northern Syria, as it sent more armoured vehicles to the border.

US President Donald Trump has sent mixed messages since a surprise announcement on Sunday that Washington was pulling back 50 to 100 "special operators" from Syria's border with Turkey.