DAMASCUS, Syria, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Turkish troops have evacuated the remains inside the Tomb of Suleyman Shah, grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman empire, and about 40 Turkish guards.
The tomb, considered a Turkish enclave, was destroyed to prevent it from use by the Islamic State. One soldier was killed in an accident during the operation.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on television the operation was designed "to protect our spiritual values and the safety of our armed forces personnel."
The remains of Suleyman Shah inside a sarcophagus will be relocated elsewhere in Syria, near the Turkish border.
"The ongoing conflict and state of chaos in Syria posed serious risks to safety and security of the tomb," Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
While Turkey considers the tomb to be sovereign territory, Syria regarded the operation as "flagrant aggression."
This is the Tomb of Suleyman Shah which Turkish tanks are reported to be heading towards to protect from #ISIS. pic.twitter.com/aMImDONcMv
— Conflict News (@rConflictNews) February 21, 2015The Treaty of Ankara, signed in 1921, allowed Turkey to guard the tomb in Syria and to keep a Turkish flag raised on the grounds.
The troops involved in the evacuation of the tomb, about 600 troops and 100 tanks and armored vehicles, passed through the Kurdish-controlled city of Kobani.
Turkey deployed special forces to protect the shrine last March, but the threat posed by IS controlling surrounding territory triggered the evacuation.
