Evacuation of Tomb of Süleyman ?ah an abandonment: Turkish main opposition head

Main opposition Republican People?s Party (CHP) leader Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu has criticized the government over the recent evacuation of the Tomb of Süleyman ?ah within Syrian territory, describing it as an ?abandonment.?

?On what grounds are you evacuating the tomb and carrying away the bodies [buried there]?? K?l?çdaro?lu said at the weekly meeting of his party?s parliamentary group on Feb. 24.

He slammed Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu for his government?s decision to evacuate the historic tomb and the soldiers guarding it, recalling Davuto?lu?s own remarks delivered around a year ago when he vowed that Turkey had the right to take all precautions to protect the site. He recalled a March 14, 2014 statement by then Foreign Minister Davuto?lu, in which the latter said any attack against the tomb either from ?the regime, radical groups or from anyone? would be subjected to retaliation from Turkey, which would take all measures for the protection of that land.

The Republic of Turkey has secured the presence of the Tomb of Süleyman ?ah through several international treaties, including the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, the founding treaty of the Republic of Turkey, K?l?çdaro?lu said, asking: ?Why are we abandoning it [now]??

He said he had ?an open and clear call to all 77 million citizens? of Turkey: ?Take a step back and think about what to call a government that hands its own territory to foreigners and runs away while handing it over.?

?[What would] the withdrawal of soldiers from a place known to be territory of the Turkish Republic in international treaties, bombing the tomb and removing the bodies be called?? he asked.

?In exchange for what did you abandon the Republic of Turkey?s territories? I want each and every...