Turkish PM visits ISIL-hit border outpost amid heavy security

KİLİS

Top officials of Turkey's government and military have visited a border outpost attacked by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants last month.

Several ministers accompanied Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in the southeastern province of Kilis on Aug. 8 during a symbolic visit that Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Necdet Özel and Commander of Land Forces, Hulusi Akar, also attended.

Gen. Özel is expected to hand over his seat to Gen. Akar on Aug. 14. 

The delegation first met with locals at a cafe in the Elbeyli district near Turkey's border with Syria. "The people of Elbeyli, do you have any request?" Turkish PM asked. "We want order on the border," one local answered. "God willing, the border will be at ease when the opposide side [Syria] is in order," Davutoğlu said.

Special forces searched irrigation canals around the road and military helicopters escorted the convoy as Davutoğlu and other officials embarked on a visit to the Dağ military outpost where ISIL militants have recently attacked.

Non-commissioned military officer Mehmet Yalçın Nane was killed by ISIL militants near the outpost, while he was on duty patrolling the border.

Daily Hürriyet has learned that Davutoğlu condole with the military personnel at the outpost during the one-hour visit that was closed to the media. Davutoğlu also called on the locals to "support their soldiers," according to Turkish broadcasters.

After visiting Nane's family, Davutoğlu went to the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa to condole with the family of the two policemen who were killed by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on July 22.

Following the attacks in Kilis and Şanlıurfa, Turkish government had launched air strikes against ISIL targets in Syria and PKK targets in Iraq.