Turkish Military Evacuates Soldiers Guarding Tomb in Syria

ISTANBUL — The Turkish Army rescued its guards and removed remains from the Tomb of Suleyman Shah in Syria, which had been besieged by Islamic State militants, the prime minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu, said in a televised news conference on Sunday. One soldier died in an accident during the operation.

The military operation late Saturday did not involve international assistance or approval, but the authorities in the region, as well as allied forces engaged in an ongoing military campaign against the Islamic State, were informed of the operation, the prime minister added.

A foreign ministry statement said that clashes and instability in Syria prompted the operation to rescue about 40 military personnel, including 20 elite special forces, who were encircled by Islamic State militants around Karakozak village in Munbic town, about 20 miles outside Turkey’s southern borders. There were no clashes during the evacuation of the tomb, Mr. Davutoglu emphasized, while one soldier, according to a statement provided by the Turkish Army, was killed in an accident during the movement of the troops.

Suleyman Shah was the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire. His tomb is considered by the government here to be Turkish territory, and it has been guarded by Turkish soldiers.

“The coordination prior to Saturday’s military operation displays some agreement with the Syrian Kurdish groups,” Mr. Ulgen said. “This cooperation, however, should not be regarded as a game-changer in Ankara’s approach towards Syrian Kurds.”

A version of this article appears in print on February 22, 2015, on page A8 of the New York edition. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe

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