Syrians in Türkiye begin returning home after fall of Assad regime

By Lale Koklu Karagoz

HATAY, Türkiye (AA) - Syrians who sought refuge in Türkiye during the civil war in their home country have started returning to Syria following the fall of the 61-year-old Baath regime.

At the Cilvegozu Border Gate in Hatay, southeastern province of Türkiye, Syrians lined up at the border gate in Reyhanli on Monday morning, waiting for customs procedures.

To prevent overcrowding, gendarmerie teams set up a separate control point about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the border.

After checks at this point, Syrians deemed eligible for crossing were directed to the Cilvegozu Border Gate.

Adem Muhammed Zin, a Syrian national, told Anadolu that he was on his way to Damascus, his hometown.

He expressed his joy at the liberation of his country after many years: "Thank God, our way is open, Assad is gone, and the war is over. I’ve been in Istanbul for 10 years. May God bless the Turks, they helped us a lot."

Ali Hasiko, who has been waiting for 12 years to return to his hometown of Hama, also thanked Türkiye: "I thank Türkiye for opening its doors to us."

Ibrahim Al Muta, who was waiting with his family of six to go to Hama, said that they had been in Türkiye for nearly 11 years. "Thank God, the war is over. Türkiye is wonderful, but our homeland is Syria," he said.

Hana Hasiko, who was with her children and grandchildren, said that Türkiye and Syria are like siblings: "We thank you for everything; now we are going home."

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi