ISTANBUL, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 40,000 Syrians have returned to their homeland from Türkiye since the overthrow of Syria's Bashar al-Assad administration on Dec. 8, 2024, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat announced on Saturday.
Bolat made the remarks in an address to reporters during his visit to the Cilvegozu Border Gate in the southeastern Hatay province, where he conducted inspections in a buffer zone.
According to Bolat, 27,941 Syrians had returned home through the three border gates in Hatay since Dec. 9 last year.
"When including those recorded at other customs gates, nearly 40,000 returns of Syrians have occurred," he said.
Bolat further explained that Syrian refugees in Türkiye generally wish to assess the conditions in their home regions before making a return. To support this process, the Turkish Interior Ministry has introduced a new practice, allowing Syrian people to visit their regions temporarily up to three times within six months. Bolat believes it will help accelerate the return process of the refugees.
Türkiye shares a 900-km borderline with Syria and currently holds millions of Syrian refugees. ■
