Germany said on Friday that Turkey had legitimate security interests in Syria, but also called for restraint amid reports of an imminent Turkish military operation into Afrin.

Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, the German Foreign Ministry's deputy spokesman, Rainer Breul, said they are closely following the developments in northern Syria after Ankara issued stark warnings over Afrin.

"Turkey has legitimate security interests along its border with Syria," Breul acknowledged, referring to the threats posed by the ongoing civil war in the neighboring country.

"We hope and expect that Turkey will continue to exert political and military restraint," he said.

Breul added that Germany believes that the focus of military activities in northern Syria should be on Daesh and its successor terrorist organizations in the region.