Raphael Boukandoura, who works for various French publications including Liberation and Courrier International, was detained late Monday at a protest over a military operation targeting Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.

Boukandoura, 35, has lived legally in Turkey for at least a decade and holds an official press card.

He was transferred to a detention centre for migrants, his lawyer Emine Ozhasar told AFP.

Asked if Boukandoura may be deported, she said: "It's a possibility", explaining no decision had yet been made but might be postponed until Thursday.

The detention sparked calls for his immediate release from rights groups and France's government.

In a statement to AFP on Tuesday, the French foreign ministry said it hoped Boukandoura would be "freed as quickly as possible", indicating its diplomats in Turkey were "closely monitoring the situation".

At the protest, called by the pro-Kurdish party DEM, party officials called for "an immediate halt to the attacks" and the protection of civilians in northeastern Syria.

Police broke up the rally arresting 10 people, including Boukandoura.

Two weeks ago, Syrian government troops launched an offensive against Kurdish-led forces -- an operation publicly welcomed by Turkey, despite its own efforts to pursue a peace process with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

According to the rights group MLSA, Boukandoura told police he was present strictly as a journalist and covering the protest for the daily Liberation.

During questioning, police also asked Boukandoura about slogans allegedly chanted during the protest.

He told them he did not chant any slogans and was at the scene solely to report, MLSA said.

Erol Onderoglu of media-rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the fact that a French journalist was facing expulsion for doing his job was "unacceptable".

"It is intended to intimidate journalists covering pro-Kurdish protests in Turkey," he told AFP.

Liberation, along with Courrier International, Mediapart and Ouest-France -- other outlets that have published Boukandoura's work -- all issued statements calling for his immediate release.