Syrians in Turkiye continue to return home through border crossings

Syrians who sought refuge in Turkiye during the 13-year civil war are continuing to return home on Tuesday following the collapse of the 61-year Baath Party regime, Anadolu Agency reports.

They are crossing through the Cilvegozu, Yayladagi and Zeytindali border gates in Turkiye’s south-eastern province of Hatay, bordering northern Syria.

At the Cilvegozu Border Gate in Reyhanli, Syrians wait in orderly lines for customs procedures, guided by corridors set up by gendarmerie forces to maintain order.

Teams from the provincial migration office assist returnees in transporting their belongings, including clothes and household items, using wheeled carts.

Once customs procedures are complete, Syrians cross the border, with priority given to women and children.

The Turkish Red Crescent and other aid organisations are distributing hot soup and refreshments to families and personnel at the crossings.

READ: Syria retains 26 tons of gold reserves after Assad’s fall – sources

Mobile service units of the Directorate General of Migration Management stationed at the border crossings are also helping to speed up the departure processes.

Betul Esumen, who is travelling back to Idlib province with eight family members, said she is leaving Turkiye after five years to reunite with her extended family.

“I will return to my studies back home,” she said. “I want to be a doctor and help people. Leaving Turkiye is hard because I made good friends here.”

Halil Abdullah, who is crossing through the Yayladagi Border Gate with his wife and two children, said he had lived in Mersin, a port city in southern Turkiye, after fleeing Syria.

“I never had any problems in Turkiye,” Abdullah said. “I’m thankful to Turkiye and its people. After 14 years, I’m going home. Turkiye has been good to us, but home is home.”

During the Syrian civil war, some 4 million Syrians took shelter in Turkiye, more than any other country in the world.

Bashar Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on 8 December after anti-regime groups seized control of Damascus.

The takeover followed a swift, two-week offensive by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) fighters, who captured key cities across the country.

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