The tomb, which was positioned inside Turkey's only foreign enclave,[2] had been surrounded by self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) forces for over 4 months.

[3] Due to the presence of ISIS, the exclaves garrison was recently raised from eleven Turkish soldiers to thirty eight.

[4] On the night of 21–22 February 2015, a Turkish military convoy including 600 Turkish troops,[5] tanks and other armored vehicles numbering about 100 entered Syria to evacuate the tomb's 38 guards and relocate the remains.

[6] Despite Interior Minister Efkan Ala was denying reports that the Turkish army had to flee from ISIS militants[6] the party leaders of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Devlet Bahçeli both condemned the fact that Turkish soldiers retreated from the tomb.

Prime Minister of Turkey at the time, Ahmet Davutoğlu said that later a new tomb will be constructed in Syrian territory.