Special to WorldTribune.com

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu responded to reports of an increased military presence at the border with Syria by saying unilateral intervention on Turkey’s part was “out of the question.”

The Anadolu news agency on July 1 reported the Turkish army sent a convoy of tanks, armored vehicles and three busloads of soldiers to the state of Keles bordering Syria.

Anadolu reported that reinforcements from the fifth regiment armadillos from Kahramanmara were sent to Keles amid security measures taken along the convoy’s route, adding that the armored vehicles were deployed on the border line.

Turkey’s buildup was seen as a response to ongoing attacks by Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in border areas, including the city of Izaz, near Aleppo.

“No one should expect that Turkey will go into Syria tomorrow or in the near future. It’s speculation,” Davutoglu told Kanal 7 broadcaster on July 2.

The prime minister said Turkey would “not wait for tomorrow” to act in Syria “in the event of a threat to domestic security” but that unilateral intervention under current conditions was “out of the question.”

“We will never allow ourselves to be led down that road,” he said. “Our people can rest easy.”

  Ahmet Davutoglu, ISIL, Syria-Turkey border, Turkey sends convoy to Syrian border; PM rules out unilateral intervention, WorldTribune.com