Turkish army entered Syria and extracted its soldiers guarding the tomb of Suleiman Shah

Turkey carried out a major military operation in Syria last night and, without a fight, extracted about 40 Turkish soldiers guarding the tomb of Suleiman Shah in an area controlled by the Islamic State (IS), said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, reports the Patria News Agency.

The decision for this military operation was made due to the deteriorating situation around the Turkish enclave of several hundred square meters where the remains of Suleiman Shah, the grandfather of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire, rest, said Davutoglu.

"The operation began at 9 PM with 572 soldiers crossing the Mursitpinar border crossing (in the southeast of the country)," Davutoglu said at a press conference at the General Staff Headquarters.

As part of the operation, about forty tanks and dozens of armored vehicles entered Syrian territory, he added.

"The earthly remains of the Turkish leader were temporarily returned to Turkey but will be reburied in Syria later," said the prime minister, adding that Turkish soldiers have been deployed to that part of Syrian territory so that the remains of the Turkish sultan can be returned to that location in the coming days.

The prime minister expressed satisfaction with the "successful outcome" of the military operation, which was "potentially very dangerous" and took place about thirty kilometers inside Syrian territory.

A Turkish soldier lost his life in an accident as Turkish forces entered the area, the General Staff Headquarters announced via the internet.

Turkey had threatened jihadists with retaliation if they attacked Turkish soldiers protecting this symbolic historical site.

Based on the 1923 treaty with France, Turkey gained control over this territory and today considers it its national territory.

Before the operation, Turkey informed its allies about the action but did not ask for any help from them, Davutoglu said.