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The PKK-affiliated People's Protection Units (YPG) "recklessly" used an Armenian church as headquarters in the recently liberated town of Tal Abyad during Turkey's Operation Peace Spring, footage obtained from the region showed, according to Daily Sabah.

The Turkish military and the Syrian National Army (SNA) freed the town across the Turkish border on October 13, during the crossborder operation, which aims to clear terrorist elements east of the Euphrates in Syria.

The pulpit used by the pastor for his sermons was decorated with posters of the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, placed right under crosses and other religious signs. The pulpit, known in Armenian as "horan," is seen as a sacred place only used by the pastor of the church.

The church was put under the protection of the Syrian National Army (SNA) following the town's liberation, the newspaper said.

"When we entered the town center we didn't want to go near the church as we didn't want it to be harmed during the fighting," SNA Commander Ebu Abdo told Anadolu Agency. He urged the Christian and Armenian "brothers and sisters" to return to Tal Abyad.

"They can come to their church and hold their religious services," he said.

Turkey launched a military operation against Kurdish positions in northeast Syria on 9 October, just days after US troops pulled out of the area.

Ankara says the offensive - which began with air raids on Tuesday - is aimed at removing Kurdish-led forces from the border area and creating a "safe zone" where millions of Syrian refugees can be resettled.