Turkey's Erdogan says relocation of tomb in Syria not a retreat

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses a news conference in Somalia's capital Mogadishu January 25, 2015. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday a military incursion into Syria to relocate a tomb considered sovereign Turkish territory was a temporary measure for security reasons and not a retreat.

"The Suleyman Shah tomb operation is not a retreat, it is a temporary move in order not to risk soldiers' lives," Erdogan said in a speech in the capital Ankara.