Turkey Says 509,387 Syrians Have Returned Home Since Assad’s Exit
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Monday that 509,387 Syrians have crossed back into Syria through Turkey’s “voluntary return” process since Bashar Assad fled the country in December 2024 and a new government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power. The minister said returns are processed through designated hubs—most prominently the Voluntary Return Coordination Center in Adana’s Sarıçam district—where paperwork is completed before departures. “Türkiye continues to stand by Syrians during their voluntary return,” Yerlikaya wrote on X, adding that returns have accelerated with recent changes inside Syria.
Ankara frames the policy as orderly and voluntary, pointing to cumulative figures since 2016. According to Yerlikaya, nearly 1,250,000 Syrians have opted to go back over that period. Turkey still hosts roughly 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees, official data from May show, reflecting the country’s role as the largest host of Syrians since the 2011 uprising spiraled into war.
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The announcements come as Damascus under Sharaa seeks to project stability following Assad’s flight, while border management and reconstruction needs shape the pace of returns. Turkey emphasizes coordination through formal centers and staged movement across the frontier. International agencies say any repatriation must be voluntary, safe, and dignified, and they continue to monitor conditions in return areas.
Officials in Ankara also cast the Sarıçam hub as a model for scaling logistics, citing its role in vetting applications and organizing transport “home.” Turkey’s interior ministry did not provide a province-by-province breakdown of the latest returnees, but said the overall flow has quickened this year alongside security and administrative shifts across the border.
