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Turkey has said that a convoy it sent on Wednesday to the tomb of Süleyman Şah in Syria, the burial place of the grandfather of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire, was not an “extraordinary activity,” without providing much further detail.
Turkey's Land Forces Commander Gen. Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday at a reception held for the 94th anniversary of the Turkish Parliament in Ankara that the military convoy that entered Syria was sent to reinforce Turkish troops at the tomb, underlining that it was “a planned activity and not an extraordinary one.”
Akar also added that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have continued to effectively fulfill their given duties at the Syrian border.
On Wednesday, news outlets reported that the TSK had sent a large number of armored vehicles to the tomb of Süleyman Şah for deployment near the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) bases in Syria. According to reports, six tanks and 12 armored vehicles were deployed within 200 meters of ISIL bases, and there are also claims that ISIL has started to send reinforcements to the area.
Following the reports, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan noted, “Right now, ISIL is not the issue. The job of our convoy there is to transfer aid to the tomb of Süleyman Şah."
In recent months, reports have emerged that ISIL forces in Syria are trying to gain control of the area around the tomb of Süleyman Şah. Turkey said it would retaliate appropriately in the event of an attack on the tomb in Syria, regardless of the attacker's allegiances.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said on Wednesday that all necessary measures will be taken for the security of Turkish soldiers at the tomb. “There are routine changes. The existing soldiers are taken and others come in. It is done according to necessity and the conditions there,” Davutoğlu said.
Touching on reports that the convoy heading to the tomb was stopped by ISIL forces, Davutoğlu said that such news was untrue and that Turkey has provided logistical aid to the soldiers at the tomb since 1921. “It should not be thought that ‘a convoy was stopped by someone'.”
When asked by reporters whether the reinforcements had reached the tomb, Davutoğlu said: “I cannot give information regarding this topic. … This is a security issue. I cannot give details, but the goal has been achieved.”
According to press reports, ISIL forces are about one kilometer from the tomb, and there is a security crisis due to a lack of power and authority in the area, with radical groups increasing terrorist activities in northern Syria.
Turkey previously said that its armed forces were keeping a vigilant eye along the Syrian border and have been ready for any contingencies since the start of the Syrian civil war.
Ankara regards the tomb as sovereign Turkish territory under a treaty signed with France in 1921, when Syria was under French rule. About two dozen Turkish Special Forces soldiers guard the tomb permanently.
Meanwhile, several Turkish tanks and armored vehicles were deployed Wednesday night to positions near the Turkey-Syria border.
Today's Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news
