1 soldier dies in Turkish military evacuation of holy place in Syria

The only casualty was a Turkish soldier. No details of his death have been given as the operation was classified, but there were no reports of engagement with extremist fighters.

The task force of approximately 100 military vehicles, including 39 tanks, crossed the Syrian border to a territory controlled by Kurdish Kurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG) fighters and passed through the city of Kobani, recaptured by the YPG from the Islamic State in January.

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Turkish Army launched a military operation to move the tomb of Suleyman Shah in #Syria to a new location near #Turkeyhttp://ift.tt/17mZUKH

— Volkan Emre (@volkemre) February 22, 2015

The convoy headed to the tomb of Suleyman Shah, the father of the Ottoman Empire, Osman I. The mausoleum and a small territory of 6.3 hectares around it is situated on the Euphrates River some 35 kilometers from Kobani. According to a treaty signed in 1921, it’s part of Turkish territory permanently guarded by about 40 Turkish soldiers.

The operation was launched late on Saturday and by 7 am the convoy had successfully completed the evacuation, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reported on Twitter.

The prime minister held a media briefing in the capital, Ankara, reporting that 38 soldiers had been brought back safely to Turkey.

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First joint op for #Turkey's military and YPG? TSK Syria airstrikes rumored after Suleyman Shah relief convoy report http://ift.tt/1B4gRqE

— Noah Blaser (@nblaser18) February 21, 2015

Turkey requested no permission or assistance for the operation, yet once the mission began, the allies of the international anti-Islamic State coalition were informed, said the PM.

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Usually a convoy going to the tomb with servicemen who rotate periodically is much smaller, but since the area has become a battlefield for Kurdish militia fighting the Islamic State militants, the convoy’s firepower was significantly increased.