Suleyman Shah’s tomb under blockade

With the increase of the threat of Daesh, the former location of Suleyman Shah’s tomb in Syria’s Karakozak region, has been besieged by US troops and military bases.

The tomb of Suleymah Shah, who was the grandfather of the Ottoman Empire founder, was moved by almost 600 Turkish troops from its former resting place to a new site in the Syrian district of Eshme, just 650 feet from the Turkish border. The operation was personally monitored by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The US set up three separate bases in Karakozak, where Suleyman Shah’s tomb was located until Feb. 22, 2015. Ankara planned to reinstall the tomb in its original resting place once the area was cleared of terrorist elements.

The land surrounding the tomb as well as the tomb itself remains under the control of Turkey, and is Ankara’s only foreign enclave.

The Pentagon, the chief supporter of the PKK’s Syrian offshoot the PYD, built three military bases in Tashrin, Çelebiye and Sarrin.

The US bases were built in the connection point of the so-called cantons of the PKK/PYD of Kobani and Qamishli to Manbij, and are aimed at protecting the terrorist organization's western presence in the Euphrates.

The US base built in Sarrin was constructed on the territories of Turkmen and Arab villagers which were forcibly taken from them.

There is also a helicopter runway and a large training camp for PKK/PYD terrorists, as well as numerous hangars and weapons deposits.

The US has five commissioned officers and between 40 to 50 soldiers at the Sarrin base. The base is located eight kilometers away from Karakozak and is active around the clock.

The PKK/PYD’s presence in Manbij is being secured with the US bases, as the Pentagon recently established its ninth base in the region.

Despite the US’s promise that the PYD would withdraw from the region, Washington’s support of the terrorist organization has continued to increase.

The largest of the US military bases is the facility located in Rumeylan, which is connected to the Haseke province in the north of Syria. The Rumeylan air base, where training centers are located, is used to deliver ammunition and logistical support to the PKK/PYD.

Apart from Rumeylan, the US also has a base in Kobani on the Turkish border, where terrorists receive training.

Another base on the Turkish border is in Tel Abyad. It is stated that the base right opposite Akçakale is the most important point for the US after the Rumeylan base.

Apart from the three military bases surrounding the Suleyman Shah tomb in Karakozak (Tashrin, Çelebiye and Sarrin), the Pentagon also has a base in the center of Manbij.

There is another military base established in Tenef, on the Syrian-Iraq border. British troops are also stationed at this base.

The ninth base of the Pentagon is Tabka Base. It was the most important base in Syria for the Assad regime before it was occupied by Daesh. The base was recently captured by the US-PYD alliance.

The Karakozak region has a critical importance in terms of allowing the PKK/PYD to establish a connection with the western part of the Euphrates.

The majority of militant and logistical support between Kobani and Manbij is through this region.

The Karakozak Bridge and the marine transportation vehicles brought to the region by the USA are used for the same purpose.