UPDATE - Turkiye will never force Syrians out of country, says president

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH PRESIDENT

By Seda Sevencan and Faruk Zorlu

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkiye will never force Syrian people to return to their homeland, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday.

"Syrians can return to their homeland whenever they want, but we will never force them out of these lands," Erdogan told an event marking the 32nd anniversary of Turkiye's Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association.

The president stressed that Turkiye will continue to host Syrians and will not leave them to the "hands of murderers."

Syria has been embroiled in civil war since early 2011 when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.

According to the official UN numbers, over 350,000 people lost their lives due to the conflict but human rights groups estimate the death toll is between 500,000-600,000.

Over 14 million had to flee their homes, becoming refugees or internally displaced, according to the EU.

Turkiye is the largest host country for Syrian refugees and provides protection to nearly 4 million people who fled the neighboring country.

- Turkiye's yearly exports top $240B as of April

On trade, Erdogan said foreign and domestic entrepreneurs' appetite for investment in Turkiye continues to rise.

"Our industrial production and export volume keep breaking new records every month. We closed 2021 with an export volume of $225 billion and set great goals for 2022. As of April, our 12-month export volume exceeded $240 billion. Our export-to-import coverage ratio excluding energy has exceeded 100%."

Turkiye is firmly advancing towards its year-end export target of $250 billion, the president stressed.