A Turkish government official confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the mission was the first incursion Turkish troops had launched inside Syria since the civil war began in 2011. Mr Davutoglu said 572 troops,39 tanks,57 armoured vehicles and 100 other vehicles were involved.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the operation was prompted by the chaos and instability in Syria. The Turkish news channel NTV reported that the government had received warnings in recent days that clashes were likely to erupt nearby between IS militants and Kurdish troops known as peshmerga,and that the tomb could become a target.
Mr Davutoglu said that,in accordance with the 1921 treaty,a new tomb for Suleyman Shah was being established in a part of Syria that is under Kurdish control. Turkish television showed images on Sunday of the Turkish flag being raised there.
The tomb of Suleyman Shah,who died in 1236,has been relocated several times before,most recently in the 1970s to avoid being submerged by the reservoir of a new dam.