ANKARA, January 20. /TASS/. Russia’s Embassy in Ankara has confirmed that the Russian ambassador was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the diplomatic mission’s spokesperson told TASS on Saturday.

"We can confirm a summons to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry. At the Turkish Foreign Ministry we were given information to be conveyed to the Russian authorities," Irina Kasimova said.

Earlier in the day, a source with the Turkish Foreign Ministry told reporters that ambassadors and charges d'affaires of Russia, the United States and Iran had been summoned to the ministry. The source said, "they were informed about current developments in Afrin."

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow was concerned about the beginning of Turkey’s offensive in Afrin and urged the warring sides to exercise restraint.

On Saturday, Turkey’s General Staff declared the launch of Operation Olive Branch against Kurdish units from Self-Defense Forces and Democratic Union Party in Afrin, home to 1.5 million Syrian Kurds. Ankara says that these two groups are affiliates of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) recognized as terrorist in Turkey.

The CNN Turk reported earlier that eight Turkish fighter jets F-16 took off from the Diyarbak·r air base to bomb Kurds’ position.