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The Syrian Army on Tuesday recaptured the area where the Tomb of Suleyman Shah, an important figure in Turkish history, is located, about an hour before a ceasefire with the SDF terrorist group took effect, according to an Anadolu correspondent.
Earlier, the army advanced into the town of Sarrin, northeast of Aleppo, following intense clashes with terrorist elements in the southern parts of Ayn al-Arab, the correspondent said.
The SDF is dominated by the YPG terrorist group, which Türkiye considers the Syrian branch of the PKK.
The army stepped up its advance on the Sirrin front after its forces west of the Euphrates River were unable to cross a bridge due to heavy fire from terrorists entrenched in hilly terrain on the opposite bank.
Advancing northward from Sarrin toward Ayn al-Arab, Syrian forces surrounded the area where the village of Karakozak is located.
Forces have not yet entered the site because of extensive mining by the terrorist group around the bridge and within the area of the tomb, which houses the relics of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire.
The area will be secured after mines and explosive devices are cleared, the correspondent said.
On Sunday evening, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire and an agreement for the full integration of the SDF into state institutions.
On Tuesday, he said a “mutual understanding” had been reached with the SDF regarding the future of eastern Hasakah province.
Syria’s Defense Ministry also announced a four-day ceasefire with the SDF, which took effect at 8:00 p.m. local time (1700 GMT).
Under the 1921 Ankara Agreement between France and Türkiye, the area where the tomb is located was recognized as Turkish territory and Turkish soldiers were tasked with guarding the site.
Within this framework, the land of the Tomb of Suleyman Shah in Karakozak held the distinction of being the only territory owned by Türkiye outside its national borders.
The tomb was originally located near Jaber Castle in Raqqa province but was later relocated twice, first in 1973 following the creation of the Al-Assad Reservoir, and again in early 2015 due to the civil war in Syria.
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