Erdoğan says Suleyman Shah's tomb relocated to safer place

The tomb of Suleyman Shah and Saygı Military Outpost will continue to wave the Turkish flag and cherish the memory of Turkish ancestry in their new location, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a statement on Sunday.

"The Tomb of Suleyman Shah and Memorial Outpost, which had been relocated twice in previous years, shall continue to wave the Turkish flag and keep the memory of our ancestors alive in accordance with international law and agreements" said Erdoğan, who is also the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces by the Turkish Constitution.

The two-pronged operation, which began late on Saturday, simultaneously returned the body of Suleyman Shah and sacred relics from the original exclave to Turkey, and secured another area in Syria close to the border with Turkey to act as a temporary burial place.

"The remains of Suleyman Shah shall be transferred to Ashmeh, an area located 200 meters south of the Turkish-Syrian border whose control has been seized by our troops who raised the Turkish flag there" the statement said.

Erdoğan said the operation was completed successfully with the determination and implementation of the Turkish government, and noted that he had closely followed the operation.

"Operation Shah Euphrates, whose conduct and management was personally monitored by myself and led by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Necdet Özel, aimed at moving the Tomb of Suleyman Shah, a relic of our ancestors, to a safer location inside Syria, where wartime conditions prevail." he said.

Erdoğan also expressed his sorrow over the accidental death of one soldier during the operation. "While no clashes took place during the Operation, a Turkish soldier passed away as a result of an accident. I offer my condolences to the family and loved ones of our fallen soldier and pray that Allah will bless his soul" the president said, and he called the family of Sgt. Mj. Halit Avcı, who was martyred in the operation to offer his condolences.

Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, was buried in Turkey's only exclave 30 kilometers from the border.

The complex at the original burial place has now been rendered unusable on security grounds, and the Turkish Special Forces unit protecting the area has been brought back to Turkey, the Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said earlier.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry informed the Syrian government of the operation after the fact.