Ankara: More than 474,000 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their homeland from Turkey since December 8, 2024, as announced by Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Yerlikaya highlighted this significant movement in a statement on the Turkish Nsosyal platform, emphasizing Turkey’s continued support for Syrians opting for voluntary repatriation.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Yerlikaya revealed that the number of Syrians who have returned voluntarily since 2016 has now reached a total of 1,213,620 individuals. The Turkish Immigration Department is actively supervising these voluntary return processes to ensure their smooth execution.

This substantial return follows a pivotal shift in Syria, where Syrian factions assumed control of the country on December 8, 2024, effectively ending a 61-year rule by the Assad family. In response to this political change, late December 2024 saw the Turkish Interior Ministry introduce a series of measures designed to facilitate the honorable return of Syrians residing in Turkey.