Iran says Turkey PM's crossing into Syria "dangerous act"

The Turkish prime minister's recent crossing into Syria is a "dangerous act" for the region, spokeswoman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Marzieh Afkham said on Monday.

"The Islamic republic stresses the sovereignty of the countries and considers this as a dangerous act for the region which can complicate the situation," Afkham was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.

"Unfortunately, some countries have made miscalculation about the ongoing issues of the region," she told reporters, referring to the recent visit of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to a Turkish tomb in Syria.

The Iranian spokeswoman warned against what she called "provocative measures," saying that "observing the international conventions and respecting the sovereignty of the countries is a principle which should be honored by all the states."

On Saturday, Davutoglu crossed into Syria to visit the historic tomb of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman empire, near Syria's border with Turkey. The visit of the top Turkish official took place without the consent of the Syrian government.

In February, Turkey launched a military operation into Syria to evacuate some 40 Turkish soldiers guarding the tomb of Suleyman Shah, an enclave of Turkey in Syria around 25 km from the Turkish border, as the venue is located among villages controlled by Islamic State (IS) militants.

During the operation, Turkish forces relocated the historic tomb from the Jaabar Citadel on the Euphrates to Ashma village, 200 meters from the border with Turkey.

In accordance with Article 9 of the 1921 Treaty of Ankara, signed between France and Turkey, the area containing the tomb remains Turkish property but not sovereign territory.

The Syrian government has condemned the Turkey move in February as a "flagrant aggression" and an violation of the sovereignty of Syria. Endit