TURKISH tanks and troops backed by attack helicopters and drones rumbled into Syria over the weekend to repatriate 38 Turkish soldiers guarding the tomb of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire. The intent was to shield the soldiers from potential attack by the jihadists of Islamic State (IS). The shrine lies 30 kilometres south of the Turkish border and skirts one of the jihadists’ main supply lines to the city of Raqqa, the “capital” of their self-proclaimed state. The nocturnal sweep was Turkey's first incursion into Syria since the start of the uprising nearly four years ago.
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