21.01.2026 16:10
While the Suleyman Shah Tomb in the Karakozak region of Syria has been completely cleared of terrorist elements, the commander of the 76th Division, Seyf Polat-Ebubekir, emphasized that protecting the tomb is a "duty of honor"; meanwhile, mine clearance in the area and reinforcement works on the Karakozak Bridge are ongoing.
The area around the Suleyman Shah Tomb located in the Karakozak region of Syria has been completely cleared of terrorist elements. The commander of the 76th Division, Seyf Polat-Ebubekir, who shared a video from the region, expressed notable remarks while thanking the President of the National Intelligence Organization, Ibrahim Kalın.
"THIS IS TURKISH LAND AND IT WILL REMAIN SO"
In the video he published, 76th Division Commander Seyfullah Ebubekir stated, "I am the Commander of the 76th Division, Seyfullah Ebubekir; we dedicate this to Mr. MIT President Ibrahim Kalın and his team and to the entire Turkish world. The tomb of our grandfather Suleyman Shah has been completely cleared of terrorists. From now on, protecting this place is a matter of honor for us. This is Turkish land and it will remain so."
ATTEMPT TO SABOTAGE THE KARAKOZAK BRIDGE
In inspections conducted in the region, it was determined that terrorist elements had previously targeted the foot of the Karakozak Bridge on the side of Karakozak village with explosives in an attempt to destroy the bridge, but the end part of the bridge remained standing, albeit weak. It was reported that the Syrian army is continuing its efforts to reinforce the bridge.
MINES AND TRAPS ARE BEING CLEARED
It was noted that booby-trapped mines could be seen with the naked eye in some areas around the tomb, and it was reported that the Syrian army is conducting intensive work to neutralize mines and homemade explosives in the region.
HISTORY OF THE SULEYMAN SHAH TOMB
The tomb of Suleyman Shah, who is the grandfather of Osman Gazi, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, was located in the village of Karakozak within the borders of Aleppo province in Syria. According to the Ankara Agreement signed between Turkey and France in 1921, this region was accepted as Turkish land, and it was decided that Turkish soldiers would guard the tomb. With this feature, the Suleyman Shah Tomb holds the status of being the only piece of land that Turkey possesses outside its borders.
SHAH FIRAT OPERATION AND RELOCATION PROCESS
In 2014, following the outbreak of violent clashes between ISIS and the Free Syrian Army around the village of Karakozak, the Turkish Armed Forces carried out the Shah Firat Operation. As part of the operation, the Suleyman Shah Tomb and the Respect Outpost were temporarily relocated near the village of Eşme, adjacent to the border in Syria on February 22, 2015.