Türkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Sunday that more than 7,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria within five days following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Turkish outlet Rudaw reported.
Yerlikaya stated that 7,621 Syrian refugees left Türkiye “voluntarily, safely, honorably, and regularly” since the fall of Assad’s government, marking the end of more than five decades of Baath Party rule.
Türkiye, which hosts over three million Syrian refugees, has been working to facilitate their return amid ongoing economic pressures.
Mohammed, a Syrian refugee at the border, expressed mixed emotions as he prepared to return. “The tyrant Bashar was killing and displacing people; that’s why we fled,” he told Rudaw.
Celebrations broke out in Istanbul and Ankara last week as thousands of Syrians gathered to celebrate the end of Assad’s rule, expressing gratitude to Türkiye for sheltering them during the 13-year civil war.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated Ankara’s commitment to the safe, voluntary repatriation of refugees and pledged support for Syria’s reconstruction.
The collapse of Assad’s regime followed an offensive by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied groups, which toppled the Baathist government on December 8. While Türkiye denies direct involvement, it has called for an inclusive government to determine Syria’s future.
Among those returning is 45-year-old Omer Halibo, who worked in Türkiye’s shoe industry. “The Turkish people took us under their wings,” he said, eager to reunite with his homeland.