The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss Turkey’s military offensive in northern Syria, diplomats said on Wednesday.

The closed-door meeting has been convened under the request of Belgium, France, Germany and Britain.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday said on his Twitter feed that the military operation in northeastern Syria had started.

"The Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Syrian National Army (rebel groups backed by Ankara), just launched #OperationPeaceSpring," Erdogan wrote.

"Our mission is to prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border, and to bring peace to the area." he wrote.

The Turkish offensive was launched after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would pull American forces from Syria's northern frontier, where they serve as a buffer between the Turkish military and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.