Over 880,000 Syrians have returned home voluntarily since 2017: Turkish vice president

By Harun Kutbe and Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz announced Monday that 145,639 Syrians voluntarily returned home between Dec. 9, 2024 and March 16, 2025, bringing the total number of returns since 2017 to 885,642.

In a post on X, Yilmaz said that migration data is dynamic and can change daily, adding: "In a speech I made yesterday, I stated that the total number of returns as of March 6 was 873,000. According to data from the Directorate General of Migration Management, the number of Syrians who returned voluntarily, safely, honorably and regularly between Dec. 9, 2024 and March 16, 2025 is 145,639, and the total number from 2017 to 2025 is 885,642.”

“Initially, returns occurred to the safe zones we created through cross-border operations. Afterward, returns accelerated with the overthrow of the dictator regime. As the security conditions, basic services and the economic environment improve in Syria, which is in the process of reconstruction, it is expected that these numbers will increase more rapidly," he added.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized that a return to normal life in Syria is extremely important.

“Without a return to normal life, it is not possible for the refugees both in Türkiye and in neighboring countries to return. We are currently seeing certain developments, albeit to a lesser extent. The important thing is to ensure and establish security and stability,” he said.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president on Jan. 29 for a transitional period.