Career
lieutenant is said that Suleyman Shah drowned in the river Euphrates in Syria. An Ottoman tomb in or near Qal"at Ja"bar has historically been associated with Suleyman Shah. In accordance with Article 9 of the Treaty of Ankara (1921) signed between France and Turkey, an area (8,000 square meters or one hectare) containing the tomb remained Turkish property (but not sovereign territory).
When the area where the tomb was located in 1921 was later flooded in 1974 by Lake Assad, the reservoir of the Tabqa Dam, the tomb and artifacts were moved to a new location 85 km north of Qal"at Ja"bar to 36°38′22″North 38°12′27″East, but also on the Euphrates riverside, 10 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of the town of Sarrin and located 27 km from the Turkish frontier.
Throughout the Syrian Civil War, Turkey maintained a small military presence as an honour guard around the tomb. On the night of 21–22 February 2015, a Turkish military convoy including tanks and other armored vehicles numbering about 100 entered Syria to evacuate the tomb"s 40 guards and relocate the remains.
One soldier died during the operation. The tomb complex was destroyed to prevent its use.
The tomb is now located in Kurdish-controlled territory 200 meters inside Syria, 22 km (14 mi) west of Kobanî and 5 km (31 mi) east of the Euphrates, less than 2 km (12 mi) southeast of the Turkish village of Esmesi (Esmeler or Esme or Eshme) that is in southernmost Birecik District.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that later a new tomb will be constructed in Syrian territory.
