Headline:
Turkey Celebrates as over 25,000 Syrian Refugees Return Home Following Assad‘s Ousting
Article:
ANKARA — In a significant development that has brought both relief and jubilation to Turkey, over 25,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland in just 15 days, marking a major repatriation push since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This dramatic turn of events has been catalyzed by the unexpected ousting of Assad by the backed by Turkey-backed rebel forces of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The Afloat (AFP) agency reported on Tuesday (24/12/2024) that Turkey has been the prime sanctuary for Syrians fleeing the civil war at home, providing refuge to almost 3 million people since the conflict began in 2011. However, Turkey’s resources have been stretched thin, and its government, headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been searching for a feasible solution to repatriate its Syrian guests for some time.
In a move that underscores the magnitude and urgency of these developments, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya of Turkey announced in an interview with the state-owned Anadolu Agency, "The number of Syrians returning to their homeland has surpassed 25,000 over the past fortnight alone."
Turkish authorities, now closely associated with the fledgling leadership of Syria, have been actively spearheading the reptriation campaign. They eagerly anticipate that this shift in governance in Damascus would facilitate the smooth return of even more refugees who have been craving to get back to their roots.
Furthermore, Yerlikaya revealed further plans to manage this influx effectively. He specified that the Immigration Office would open branches in all Turkish embassies and consulates in both Damascus and Aleppo. Their primary function will be to chronicle the record of returning Syrians. An additional step toward normalization, Turkish diplomatic missions resumed operations in both cities, scarcely a week post-Assad’s ousting, after keeping them closed throughout the Syrian crisis.
In yet another encouraging announcement, Yerlikaya shared President Erdogan’s directive to prepare a regulation stipulating that a member of every Syrian family returning home would be provided with the facility to travel to and from three times between the 1st of January to the 1st of August in 2025. A further boon, returning families would be at liberty to convey their personal items and vehicles, facilitating a comfortable transition back home.
In congruence with the recent developments in Syria, viewers can also gain insights from [this video][1]—a compelling look into the significant role played by the Israeli defense forces in Syria’s political evolution.
[[[[Source:]Anadolu Agency, Detik.com(Hafridah/Dayana)
[1] – [Video Caption]
