Turkish president congratulates government, army for operation in Syria

ANKARA

AA Photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has congratulated both the government and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) for their “successful” overnight “Şah Fırat” evacuation operation into neighboring Syria to evacuate troops guarding an Ottoman tomb and to move the crypt to a new location.

“On behalf of myself and on behalf of my nation, I congratulate our government and our armed forces that carried out this successful operation which is beyond all kinds of appreciation,” Erdoğan said in a written statement released on Feb. 22.

“All relics at The Tomb of Süleyman Şah and the Saygı Outpost and our soldiers who were performing their assignments there have been brought to our country safe and sound in the Şah Fırat operation which was carried out during the night,” Erdoğan said.

“The operation has been completed successfully with our state’s decision and implementation,” the president said.

“In the operation during which no clashes took place, a soldier of ours fell a martyr as a result of an accident. I wish mercy upon the fallen and extend my condolences to his family and friends,” Erdoğan also said, referring to the soldier who was killed in an accident during the operation to relieve the guards at the tomb on the Euphrates River some 30 kilometers inside Syrian territory, the Turkish army said in a separate statement.

In a statement released earlier in the day, the TSK said the soldier lost his life in the “initial stage” of the operation but emphasized there were no clashes during the mission.