With more than 150,000 Syrian Kurds taking refuge in Turkey as they flee Islamic State fighters, Turkey is now taking steps to fight the extremist threat.
On Thursday, the Turkish parliament approved a motion enabling the government to authorize military incursions into Iraq and Syria to combat Islamic State militants.
Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz says the Turkish culture is at risk, in the form of a Turkish shrine located in Syria.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTER, ISMET YILMAZ, SAYING:
"The existence of Islamist militants in the region, 37 kilometers away from the Turkish-Syrian border, where the tomb of Suleyman Shah is located, is an obvious risk, an obvious threat against our national security. The tomb of Suleyman Shah is an inseparable part of our territory and it is the utmost duty of the state to protect it. The Turkish Republic will not hesitate to take the necessary steps to fulfill this responsibility."
The motion also pa
