ANKARA, Feb 22 — Turkish troops entered Syria and evacuated 38 soldiers who were part of an honour guard in a tiny enclave in Syria because of threats from Islamic State militants, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said.

Hundreds of troops in armoured vehicles entered Syria 9pm local time yesterday to evacuate the soldiers guarding a memorial to an Ottoman forebear who died more than 700 years ago, Davutoglu said today in Ankara. One soldier died in an accident during the nine-hour long incursion, the premier said.

Almost 40 tanks crossed the border elsewhere to secure a new site just inside Syria to relocate remnants of Suleyman Shah, a relation of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Davutoglu said. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the operation was a “flagrant act of aggression,” according to the state-run SANA news agency.

Turkey has been reluctant to join the US-led military coalition against Islamic State, calling for a comprehensive strategy that would also seek to topple President Bashar al-Assad. Turkey and the US signed an agreement on February 19 on training a Syrian rebel force to combat the al-Qaeda breakaway group as well as fight Assad’s forces.

“The decision to launch this operation was made in Ankara as part of the authority granted to us,” Davutoglu said. “No help was requested from anyone. The operation was entirely in accordance with international law.”

The site has been Turkish territory since a 1921 treaty signed with colonial power France and later accepted by Syria. The tomb had been located on a strip of land jutting into the water near the village of Karakozak, about 30km from Turkey.

Increasing clashes in the area prompted the government to order the military to safeguard the personnel there and protect Turkey’s rights under international law, Davutoglu said.

Upon withdrawal, Turkish troops destroyed buildings at the one-hectare site on the Euphrates River and temporarily brought remnants of Suleyman Shah to Turkey, Davutoglu said. — Bloomberg