ANKARA
Turkey has denied claims that the Turkish soldiers guarding the tomb of Suleyman Shah in Syria had been surrounded by militants.
Speaking at a reception to mark the start of Turkey’s new legislative year Wednesday night, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed reports the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, had surrounded the site.
He added: "In such a case, the response of Turkey would be clear and certain."
Suleyman Shah was the grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, and his tomb is a Turkish enclave 30 kilometers south of the border.
In March, 60 special forces soldiers were deployed to the tomb, sited on the Euphrates river, as ISIL fighters took control of nearby villages.
Erdogan also spoke on the motions that are to be presented to the Turkish parliament Thursday, which could extend the Turkish armed forces’ mandate to tackle external threats such as ISIL.
He said: "We are a country under threat and we see the situation the terrorist groups have created in the region. We have to put forth our stance clearly."
The president will head a "security summit" with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and other officials after the motions are presented to the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Turkish troops are currently authorized by the parliament to operate across the border to defend Turkey against Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, fighters and the regime forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Thursday's session was originally tabled to extend the terms of existing mandates on Iraq and Syria that were due to expire on October 4 and 17, respectively.
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