Operations in the Levant (1516) The Ottomans first captured the city of Diyarbekir in southeastern Anatolia.[2] The Battle of Marj Dabiq (24 August 1516) was decisive, in which the Mamluk ruler Kansuh al-Ghuri was killed.[2] The Ottomans apparently outnumbered the Mamluks by a factor of 3 to 1.[6] Syria fell under the rule of the Ottomans with this single battle.[6] The Battle of Yaunis Khan occurred near Gaza (1516) and was again a defeat for the Mamluks.