Turkish top commander visits new premises of Süleyman Şah Tomb inside Syria

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

DHA Photo

Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Necdet Özel, along with other top commanders, visited the newly constructed Süleyman Şah Tomb in its new located inside Syria on March 26.

“Chief of Staff Gen. Necdet Özel, along with the commanders of the Turkish Land and Air Forces, conducted inspections at the new premises of the Süleyman Şah Tomb inside Syrian territory,” read a statement issued by the Turkish Armed Forces on March 27.

The statement added that Özel chatted with the Turkish and Syrian citizens at the Ashme village inside Syria, where a new military post is being constructed to place the tomb.

Turkey evacuated its military personnel protecting the Süleyman Şah Tomb in northern Syria, as well as the artifacts in the mausoleum, in an operation jointly conducted by the intelligence organization and the Turkish army on Feb. 21, a few days after reports suggested that jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) were advancing on the tomb.

The evacuated tomb, around 37 kilometers from the Turkish border, is regarded as Turkish territory by international agreements and was being protected by around 40 soldiers.

Without engaging in any clashes, Turkish troops left Syria early Feb. 22, after detonating the symbolic building to prevent ISIL militants from using it as a base.

Turkey has cordoned off a new area west of Kobane in the Ashme region of Syria, just 180 meters from the Turkish border, to house the relocated tomb.