Turkey’s Energy Minister denies CHP allegations of impending military intervention in Syria

ISTANBUL

Hürriyet Photo

Turkey’s Energy Minister Taner Yıldız responded to claims by CHP Secretary General Gürsel Tekin on impending military intervention in Syria by urging Tekin to reexamine his sources.“My advice to Gürsel Tekin is to either reveal his source or reexamine it,” Yıldız said.Gürsel Tekin claimed Turkey had plans to launch a military operation in Syria within a day or two, in an interview with daily Taraf published May 7.Tekin defined his source as “credible” and urged Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu to deny the allegations.“I am asking either the minister of foreign affairs or Mr. Davutoğlu to provide an explanation. A statement rejecting these claims will give nationwide relief prior to the elections,” Tekin said.Tekin also pointed out that he was first to share information on the military operation at the Süleyman Şah Tomb in Syria.Turkey evacuated military personnel protecting the tomb in northern Syria along with artifacts inside the mausoleum in an operation on Feb. 21. “The entire world witnessed the mockery that was the operation at Süleyman Şah Tomb and we are struggling to prevent its recurrence,” Tekin said.“We read about the problems of the Middle East, including the case of Mosul, in foreign media. Becoming a party to any of these conflicts would be an irreparable mistake for Turkey,” he said.