Suluk, Syria

Suluk
Town and subdistrict
Suluk nahiya within ar-Raqqah Governorate
Suluk Location in Syria
Coordinates: 36°35′57″N 39°07′43″E / 36.599167°N 39.128611°E / 36.599167; 39.128611Coordinates: 36°35′57″N 39°07′43″E / 36.599167°N 39.128611°E / 36.599167; 39.128611
Country	Syria
Governorate	Al-Raqqah
District	Tell Abyad
Population (2004)
• Town	7,825[1]
• Subdistrict	44,131[1]
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
P-Code	C5843
Geocode	SY110201

Suluk or Saluq is a town and nahiyah within the Tell Abyad District of ar-Raqqah Governorate in Syria. Suluk is close to the border with Turkey. The population of the town is predominately Turkmen, while the nahiyah consists mostly of Turkmen and Arabs. The Kurds are a minority in the district in total but make up the majority in the sparsely populated south.^[2] As a preliminary result of the ongoing Syrian Civil War, Suluk today is situated in Kobanî Canton within the autonomous Federation of Northern Syria – Rojava framework.

In June 2015, Suluk was taken over by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in the course of their Tell Abyad offensive.^[3] The YPG has been accused of barring the return of its residents,^[4] "razing" nearby villages,^[5] and "ethnic cleansing" of Arabs.^[6] They have denied these allegations, calling them "biased, unprofessional and politicized".^[7]

On February 27, 2016, fighters of the terrorist group Islamic State attacked Suluk, the village Hammam at‑Turkuman and Tall Abyad.^[8] At this point, the towns were not directly at the front to ISIL-held territory anymore and the jihadists were able to expel the Kurdish People's Protection Units in this surprise attack from Suluk and Hammam at-Turkuman. Kurdish security forces soon were able to encircle the attackers^[9] and recaptured the villages on March 3, 2016.^[10] The liberation came too late for 15 civilians in Hammam at-Turkuman, which were executed by the jihadists in the charge of "Refusing to corporate with IS and helping the YPG earlier".^[11]

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 70 fighters from the Islamic State and 20 Kurdish fighters were killed during the clashes.^[12]

A spokesman of the YPG, Redur Xelil, accused Turkey of supporting the terrorists because some of them infiltrated from the Turkish border to the north. Turkey denied the accusations.^[9]

In the early 13th century, during Ayyubid rule, the medieval geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi noted that Suluk was "a town of Syria".^[13]

References

Cities and towns of Syria
Governorate centres	Aleppo Damascus Daraa Deir ez-Zor Hama al-Hasakah Homs Idlib Latakia Quneitra Ar-Raqqah Rif Dimashq al-Suwayda Tartus
District centres	Abu Kamal Afrin Arihah Atarib Ayn al-Arab Azaz al-Bab Baniyas Darayya Dayr Hafir Douma Duraykish Fiq al-Haffah Harem Izra' Jableh Jarabulus Jisr ash-Shugur Maarat al-Numaan al-Malikiyah Manbij Masyaf Mayadin Mhardeh al-Mukharram al-Foqani an-Nabk Palmyra Qamishli Qardaha Qatana Qudsaya al-Qusayr al-Qutayfah Ra's al-'Ayn al-Rastan as-Safira Safita Salamiyah Salkhad al-Sanamayn Shahba ash-Shaykh Badr al-Suqaylabiyah Talkalakh al-Tall Tell Abyad al-Thawrah Yabrud Zabadani
Sub-district centres	Abu Qilqil Abu al-Thuhur Akhtarin Amuda Arbeen Arima al-Ariqah al-Arishah Armanaz Arwad al-Asharah Assal al-Ward Awj Ayn al-Fijah Ayn Halaqim Ayn Issa Ayn al-Nasr Babbila Banan Barri Sharqi Beit Jinn Binnish Bir al-Helu Bosra Bulbul Busayrah Da'el al-Dana Darat Izza Darkush al-Darbasiyah Deir Atiyah al-Dimas al-Dumayr Furqlus Ghabaghib Ghandoura al-Ghariyah al-Ghizlaniyah al-Hader Hadidah al-Hajar al-Aswad al-Hajib Hajin al-Hamidiyah al-Hamraa Harasta Harbnafsah Harran al-Awamid al-Hirak Hish Hisyah al-Hawl Huraytan al-Huwash Ibbin Samaan Ihsim Jayrud al-Jalaa al-Janudiyah Jaramana al-Jarniyah Jasim al-Jawadiyah Jubb al-Jarrah Jubb Ramlah Jindires al-Jiza al-Qabu Kafr Batna Kafr Nabl Kafr Takharim Kafr Zita al-Karamah al-Kasrah Kessab al-Khafsah Khan Shaykhun Khasham Kirnaz Kuwayris Sharqi Khanaser Khirbet Ghazaleh Khirbet al-Tin Mahmoud al-Kiswah Ma'arrat Misrin Maabatli Maadan Ma'loula Madaya Mahin Malah al-Malihah al-Mansurah Mare' Markada Mashta al-Helu Maskanah al-Masmiyah al-Mazraa Muhambal Muhasan al-Musayfirah al-Mushannaf Muzayrib al-Nashabiyah al-Nasirah Nawa Nubl al-Qadmus al-Qahtaniyah Qalaat al-Madiq Qarah al-Qaryatayn al-Qurayya Qurqania Rajo Rankus Rasm Harmil al-Imam al-Rai al-Riqama al-Ruhaybah al-Saan Saasaa Sabburah al-Sabe' Biyar al-Sabkhah Sadad Sahnaya Saidnaya Salqin Saraqib Sarmin Sarrin Sawran Sebei al-Shaddadah al-Shajara Shaqqa Sharran Shathah Shaykh al-Hadid al-Shaykh Maskin Shayukh Tahtani Shin Sinjar Sirghaya Slinfah Suluk al-Sur al-Surah al-Saghirah Suran al-Susah al-Sukhnah al-Tabni Talbiseh Taldou al-Tamanah Tasil Tell al-Daman Tell Hamis Tell Rifaat Tell Salhab Tell Tamer Tedef Thiban Uqayribat Urum al-Kubra Wadi al-Oyun al-Yaarubiyah al-Zurbah az-Ziyarah

Al-Raqqah Governorate
Al-Raqqah District Al-Raqqah Abu Susah al-Akirshi al-Fariaa Ghirnatah al-Ghutah al-Hamah al-Hamdaniyah Hittin Huwayjat Shinan Huzaymah Judaydat Kahit Judaydat Khabur Kadiran al-Kalitah al-Karamah Kasrat Shaykh al-Jumaa al-Khamisiyah al-Khatuniyah al-Khayyalah al-Sharqiyah Laksun Maadan Maghlah Kabirah Maghlah Saghirah al-Manamah Masaadah Matab al-Burashid al-Namisah al-Nasirah al-Qahtaniyah al-Rabiyah al-Rahibi Ratlah Raqqah Samrah al-Sabkhah al-Sahel al-Salhabiyah Gharbiyah Shamrah al-Suwaydah Suwaydiyah Kabirah Tell al-Samen Dahham al-Yaarubiyah al-Yarmouk
Tell Abyad District Tell Abyad Ain al-Arous al-Amin Ayn Issa Bir Issa Hawaij Saghir Hayshah Tell Hammam Tell al-Kabir Suluk al-Zaazu'
Al-Thawrah District Al-Thawrah Dibsi Afnan Dibsi Faraj Fallah Rabu Jaaidin al-Jarniyah al-Mahmudli al-Mansurah al-Raqqah Shams al-Din Tell Othman