TEHRAN, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- ian Foreign Ministry on Monday urged Turkey to stop the military operations against the Kurdish militants entering 's Afrin.

Turkey should protect the territorial integrity of Syria and respect the national sovereignty of the Arab state, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said in his weekly press conference.

The Islamic republic is concerned about the recent developments in the Syrian city of Afrin, as well as the Turkey's operations that may lead to the return of the terrorists to Syria, Qasemi said.

Turkey should resolve the issues related to Syria within the tripartite meetings of Tehran, Moscow and Ankara, he stressed.

On Jan. 20, Turkish military launched the cross-border land operation to fight the Syrian Kurdish militia, targeting the YPG elements in the Kurdish enclave with Free Syrian Army fighters through airstrikes and land forces.

Since then, Turkish border towns were also attacked by rockets from Stria, killing at least seven civilians and injuring about 100 others.