Special to WorldTribune.com

ANKARA — Turkey has acknowledged military operations in Syria.

Prime Minister Recep Erdogan said Turkish troops were sent to northern Syria to protect the tomb of Suleyman Shah.

Erdogan said a military convoy was sent to the tomb, some 25 kilometers inside Syria and under Turkish sovereignty.

“The job of our convoy there is to transfer aid to the Suleyman Shah tomb,” Erdogan said. “Our friends in charge are continuing the effort.”

In a briefing on April 23, Erdogan said the troops would not target Islamist militias in Syria. The Turkish military convoy was said to contain main battle tanks, armored personnel vehicles and hundreds of soldiers, deployed near Al Qaida’s Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

“Right now, the issue is not about ISIL,” Erdogan said.

Hours earlier, ISIL reported that Turkey sent 300 troops for deployment some 200 meters from the Islamist force. ISIL said the troops were backed by six MBTs and 12 armored vehicles.

In March 2014, the Turkish opposition warned that Erdogan was seeking a
war with Syria in an effort to bolster his popularity. Over the last few
weeks, several ministers expressed support for a Turkish campaign in Syria.

“There is no difference between the tomb and Ankara or Sinop,” Turkish
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said. “Our armed forces are ensuring security
and protecting it.”

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