Roundup: Turkey scolded for retreating from guarding historical tomb

The Turkish government recalled its soldiers guarding Turkey's Ottoman-era historical tomb in Syria following threats from Islamic State (IS) amid an outcry from the opposition.

The military move Saturday through Sunday with one accidental casualty and no clashes was hailed as a success by the government but criticized by opposition political parties as a failure.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu informed reporters all 38 troops guarding the tomb returned safely to Turkey and remains of Suleyman Shah, the founding grandfather of the Ottoman Empire, were moved to a new, safer location close to the Turkish border.

He said Turkey exercised its rights under international law.

The Foreign Ministry said withdrawal was due to risks stemming from clashes in Syria and the country's instability, which threatened the lives of the Turkish soldiers guarding the tomb.

The Tomb of Suleyman Shah is located in northern Syria and is legally considered part of Turkish territory though not attached to mainland Turkey.

It is the one territory Turkey has beyond official borders as it was officially recognized as such under a treaty signed with France in 1921, when France ruled Syria.

Turkey regards it as sovereign territory and repeatedly vowed to defend it and the soldiers guarding the tomb from attack.

Withdrawal from territory legally considered Turkish prompted a major outcry from opposition parties and the main opposition Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) called government leaders 'deserters.'

CHP deputy Gursel Tekin said Turkey lost territory for the first time, without putting up a fight, while another CHP deputy Akif Hamzacebi called for Davutoglu's immediate resignation.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy Chairman Semih Yalcin describes the withdrawal as an erroneous policy, saying that the government was pushed to concede a piece of Turkish land.

MOVE MAY HURT GOV'T

Analysts also believe the government will suffer from the fall-out of the withdrawal.

"Despite successful military aspects, this is a drawback for Turkey," Gokhan Bacik, professor of international relations at Ankara-based Ipek University said.

"Regardless of the reasons, it is now clear that Turkey was forced to retreat from the area, some 37 kilometers from the Turkish border. So Turkey failed to protect territory within its legal possession," he explained.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc accused the opposition of politicizing the issue.

Criticism over the withdrawal does not seem to be subsiding any time soon, with some chalking this up to inefficient Syrian policies.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Cem Toker said withdrawal from the tomb was the latest in a series of government mistakes over Syrian policy starting from 2011.

"Unfortunately this wholly results from errors in foreign policy," said Hakan Sukur, a national football hero and independent deputy in Turkish Parliament.

"We have become an isolated country, held accountable for the regional war, and we eventually lost territory," he added.

Turkish analyst Bulent Kenes hailed the military extraction operation as a success but said it was a political fiasco.

"It is a fiasco with regards to the shortsighted, incompetent, insufficient government policies which failed to the extent of losing territory and created a scandal," he underlined.

The CHP raised the tomb guarding troop status to a debate on the Parliament agenda but was dismissed by governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials.

Interior Minister Efkan Ala said he does not have to brief Parliament on national security matters, prompting an outcry from opposition ranks. He was booed on Parliament floor.

Turkey has been receiving threats from IS for awhile. In June of last year, 49 Turkish citizens were taken hostage at Turkey's Consulate General in Mosul, Iraq. They were later released.

Turkey has been a reluctant ally in the U.S.-led coalition against IS, but signed a train-and-equip program for Syrian moderate opposition forces last week with the U.S.

A parliament motion filed by opposition parties calling for parliament research on IS activities in Turkey has been rejected due to opposition from ruling party deputies this weekend. Endit