Turkey's strict adherence to the rules of engagement when it comes to violation of its borders spelled trouble for clueless sheep that crossed into Turkey from Syria.

The Supreme Court of Appeals ordered the detention of 36 sheep that violated the border in a case that made the headlines 10 days after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane violating its airspace.

It all started when two Syrian shepherds approached the border with a flock of sheep in tow recently. Border troops on alert against heavily armed smugglers, DAESH militants and other hostile elements from Syria were understandably vigilant and did what they were supposed to do by firing warning shots toward the two men and their woolly companions. Ever gregarious and ignorant of the threat from human beings except at the sight of a blade, the sheep stood their ground on the Turkish side, while the shepherds quickly withdrew. In line with the rules of engagement, soldiers chased the shepherds and brought them to the Turkish side where they were detained for the border violation, along with the sheep. A local court in Reyhanlı, a Turkish town on the border, ordered the release of the shepherds, as they heeded the warning shots and returned to Syria and were not involved in smuggling. The court also ordered the sheep to be handed back to the Syrians.

As in most cases involving humans or livestock, the prosecutor's office in Reyhanlı appealed the verdict, which was then brought to the Supreme Court of Appeals. The court, which has the final say in all criminal cases, sided with the local court for the release of the shepherds, but it did not let the sheep off easy for their blatant violation. In its verdict, the Supreme Court ordered the detention (müsadere, a legal term for the seizure of animals) of the sheep, as they were captured on the Turkish side. The lower court in Reyhanlı will resume the trial after the Supreme Court's verdict, and it is expected to uphold the higher court's ruling. In this case, the sheep will be handed over to the state for sale.