UPDATE - Syrian army took control of Türkiye's Tomb of Suleyman Shah area ahead of ceasefire with YPG/SDF

REVISES HEADLINE, ADDS BACKGROUND

By Omer Koparan, Mehmet Burak Karacaoglu and Kanyshai Butun

AYN AL-ARAB, Syria / ISTANBUL (AA) - The Syrian Army on Tuesday recaptured the area where the Tomb of Suleyman Shah – an important figure in Turkish history – is located, one hour before a ceasefire with the terrorist group YPG/SDF took effect, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

Earlier, the army advanced into the town of Sarrin, northeast of Aleppo, after intense clashes with terrorist elements in the southern parts of Ayn al-Arab, Aleppo.

The army stepped up its advance on the Sirrin front after its forces west of the Euphrates River were unable to cross the bridge due to heavy fire from terrorists entrenched in the hilly area on the opposite bank.

Advancing northward from Sarrin toward Ayn al-Arab, the army surrounded the area where the village of Karakozak is located.

Forces have not yet entered the site due to extensive mining by the terrorist group around the bridge and within the site of the tomb, a grave housing 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.

On Sunday evening, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire and an agreement for full integration of the YPG/SDF into state institutions.

On Tuesday, he stated that a “mutual understanding” has been reached with the SDF on the future of the eastern Hasakah province.

Syria’s Defense Ministry also announced a four-day ceasefire with the SDF, which took effect at 8 pm local time (1700GMT).

- Tomb relocation process

Under the 1921 Ankara Agreement between France and Türkiye, this area within Syria was recognized as Turkish territory, and it was decided that Turkish soldiers would guard the Tomb of Suleyman Shah.

Within this framework, the land of the tomb in Karakozak held the distinction of being the only piece of 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.