ANKARA
The Turkish General Staff announced on Sunday that Turkey’s precious relics were transferred to a new location in Syria, over which the Turkish flag is flying, and that no Turkish forces, tanks or equipment were left behind.
The Turkish General Staff press office released a statement after relocation the Tomb of Suleyman Shah to a new location and underlined that precious Turkish relics were not left behind.
According to the statement, the Turkish armed forces secured a new area in Syria close to border, hoisted the Turkish flag and promised to protect the exclave.
“Due to the security problems and military necessities in Syria, Turkey’s Tomb of Suleyman Shah and Turkey's exclave in Syria were relocated to a border village in Syria, Esmesi, without prejudice to our rights,” the statement said.
“The new location where the tomb of Suleyman Shah was relocated is fully controlled by Turkish troops and our Turkish national flag was waved,” it said.
The Turkish General Staff also confirmed that one Turkish soldier lost his life after an accident during the operation.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry said the ongoing conflict in Syria posed serious risks to safety and security of tomb and soldiers
Releasing a written statement, the ministry said "The ongoing conflict and state of chaos in Syria posed serious risks to the safety and security of the tomb located in Karakozak Village in Munbic, Syria, 37 km away from the borders of Turkey, and of the Turkish Armed Forces personnel valiantly guarding it."
"Based on extensive assessments, the Tomb of Süleyman Şah and Memorial Outpost, together with the sarcophagus itself, have been temporarily moved to a new site within Syria, corresponding to the acreage of the previous one, in the north of Suriye Eşmesi village close to the Turkish borders," the statement added.
The ministry also explained that the temporary relocation of the tomb, "conducted on the basis of security assessments," does not constitute any change on the status of the tomb and its annexation stated by the agreements.
Protected by Turkish troops, the Suleyman Shah Tomb and the surrounding area, Turkey's only exclave, are located in Aleppo's Manbij district, 37 km away from the Turkish border.
Shah has an important place in Turkish history since he was the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
The tomb and its annex, since their construction originally on the hills of Caber Castle, have gone through several processes of demolition, relocation, and reconstruction. The tomb was moved to its current location in 1975 as a consequence of a dam construction.
