A vast majority of Syrian refugees in Türkiye are optimistic about Syria’s future following the ouster of Bashar Assad, and a significant number of them are eager to return to their homeland, according to a recent survey.
The survey from Istanbul-based Areda, conducted with 1,100 Syrians across Türkiye on Dec. 9-11, showed 91% of Syrians are happy with the end of Assad’s regime and 71.5% are hopeful about their country’s future.
The study showed that 45.5% of Syrians are willing to return home if the situation in Syria improves, while 26.7% are eager to go back "as soon as possible."
The survey also said 66.7% of Syrians expressed willingness to contribute to the reconstruction of Syria by working.
Some 48.3% of Syrians believe Syria is still not safe, while 43.9% believe only certain regions are unsafe.
The survey also shows that 39.4% of Syrians in Türkiye are happy with the Turkish government policies on Syria following Assad’s ouster, while 26.7% are only “partially” happy.
Türkiye has taken in more Syrian refugees than any other nation – more than 3.8 million at its peak in 2022, or roughly 60% of all the Syrians logged by the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, with most arriving since 2011 as a result of civil war that broke out the same year.
Since an alliance of anti-regime fighters led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled Assad almost two weeks ago, at least 7,000 Syrian refugees have flocked to the border crossing gates in southern Türkiye to return home quickly.
Some 41.4% of Syrians in Türkiye think the HTS has the capacity to respond to some of the needs of the Syrian people, according to Areda’s study. At least 46% agree the HTS will play an effective role in Syria’s future.
Crossings at the border checkpoints in Hatay and Kilis provinces continued on Monday, where the Turkish Red Crescent and other aid organizations handed out hot meals to hundreds of families waiting in line for processing.
A young Syrian man who arrived in Türkiye at only 5 years old with his uncle, was headed to his homeland Aleppo after 13 years.
“I am very excited to reunite with my family after years,” Mohammed Kanaa told reporters while waiting to cross the Cilvegözü border gate, noting that his mother and aunt were waiting for him on the other side.
“I have had a happy life in Türkiye. Turks opened their doors and borders to us. While Arab states couldn’t accept us, the Turkish state and people took us in. I thank them all. Our stay has come to an end. Now everyone is going back to their country. We are very happy,” Kanaa said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sought ways to encourage the refugees' voluntary returns – including building housing in Syria close to the Turkish border.
Türkiye is moving to facilitate safe, swift and efficient returns to Syria, the Trade Ministry said Sunday, assuring coordination with other ministries and Syria’s high-ranking officials to address demands and requests from the refugees.
The ministry instructed customs offices on the border to cut down red tape for Syrian nationals transporting their possessions to the other side of the border. An additional form required for them was scrapped.
The ministry also reduced paperwork for Syrian refugees who arrived in Türkiye with their own Syria-registered license plates and are now leaving in their own vehicles. The same process applies to vehicles Syrians buy in Türkiye.
The ministry also sped up the process for the transfer of businesses Syrians set up in Türkiye.
Syrian citizens are also exempted from a declaration form for the purchase of jewelry they bought in Türkiye or brought with them from their country of origin. Additionally, they won’t be required to present extra documents for the declaration of Turkish and foreign currency they had.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Saturday that more than 124,000 Syrian refugees returned home from Türkiye from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 9, 2024, and an average of 11,000 people returned monthly.
“The number of Syrians returning to their country since it was liberated is increasing,” Yerlikaya told reporters.
Within Syria, Türkiye also seeks to take the first steps to aid recovery. To that extent, The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) opened a new delegation office on Saturday in the Syrian capital, Damascus, marking its second foreign mission.
Ankara has called for a peaceful transition period with equal representation in a new government and a swift recovery in Syria through the strong support of its neighbors and the international community.
