Free Republic

We know from leaked recordings in the past year that Turkey has been planning to use the tomb of Suleiman Shah as an excuse to invade Syria in hopes of sparking a war: TurkeyÂ’s plan to invade its neighboring country of Syria was uncovered when a secret recording leaked of the highest officials discussing a plan to launch a military aggression on Syria by using the armed terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). Â… ErdoÄŸanÂ’s government was planning a false flag attack to be executed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) against...

Hundreds of Turkish troops backed by tanks took part in an overnight operation into neighboring Syria to evacuate dozens of besieged soldiers guarding an Ottoman tomb and remove the remains amid fears the shrine was threatened by Islamic State militants. The mission late Saturday, saving Turkish soldiers reportedly stuck for months at the tomb of the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, was the first such major military incursion by Turkey since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said nearly 600 Turkish soldiers on some 100 tanks and armored personnel carriers crossed...

Hundreds of Turkish troops in armoured vehicles have entered into northern Syria and evacuated a historic Ottoman tomb and the soldiers guarding it. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the remains of Suleyman Shah would be moved elsewhere in Syria. He said troops had destroyed the tomb's complex, apparently to prevent it from being used by Islamic State (IS) militants. Turkey considers the shrine be to sovereign territory. Suleyman Shah was grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman empire, Osman the first. SNIP-- The operation began on Saturday at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT) and ended on Sunday morning. A...

UPDATE: *TURKEY'S DAVUTOGLU SAYS LEAK IS 'DECLARATION OF WAR': TURKIYE As we noted here, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan had blocked Twitter access to his nation ahead of what was rumored to be a "spectacular" leak before this weekend's elections. Then this morning, amid a mad scramble, he reportedly (despite the nation's court ruling the bans illegal) blocked YouTube access. However, by the magic of the interwebs, we have the 'leaked' clip and it is clear why he wanted it blocked/banned. As the rough translation explains, it purports to be a conversation between key Turkish military and political leaders discussing what...

After first blocking Twitter, Turkey has now also blocked access to YouTube, according to numerous reports. The action comes after a recording allegedly containing audio from a meeting among many top Turkish officials was leaked onto the Google-owned service. In the recording, the officials can allegedly be heard discussing possible military actions in Syria. The blocking of YouTube comes a week after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a court order to ban Twitter in the country.

“I'll make up a cause of war by ordering a missile attack on Turkey.” This leaked conversation is coming back to haunt the highest echelons of the Turkish government as it plans a provocation in Syria, while scrambling to contain social media internally. The leaked audiotapes that reveal Turkey’s highest ministers staging an anti-Assad military intervention in Syria, have already caused YouTube to be shut down in the country, as well as leading to fevered accusations of treachery and betrayal of Turkey’s political interests – “a declaration of war,” as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu put it. This is of...

Access to YouTube has been cut off in Turkey after an explosive leak of audiotapes that appeared to show ministers talking about provoking military intervention in Syria. Other social media have already been blocked ahead of tumultuous local elections. The latest leaked audio recording, which reportedly led to the ban, appears to show top government officials discussing a potential attack on the tomb of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of the founder of the Ottoman Empire. The tomb is in Syrian territory, but protected by Turkish soldiers. On the tape, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄŸlu is heard saying that Prime Minister...

Turkey has warned it will take any necessary steps to protect the Suleyman Shah tomb in Syria if it comes under attack. The tomb, which is protected by Turkish soldiers, is located in the city of Aleppo in Syria near the Turkish border and Ankara considers it to be Turkish territory. Turkey’s political leadership has reacted strongly to a threat made by the radical group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS, to attack the Suleyman Shah tomb protected by Turkish soldiers in Syria. Tensions recently have been on the rise with Ankara strongly condemning ISIS’s tactics in Syria....