UPDATE - Turkiye prepares new project for voluntary return of 1M Syrian refugees: President

Since 2016, around 500,000 Syrians have returned to safe zones in northern Syria, says Recep Tayyip Erdogan

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH PRESIDENT, ADDS BACKGROUND, MINOR EDITS

By Cigdem Alyanak and Mustafa Hatipoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkiye is preparing a new project that would allow the voluntary return of 1 million Syrian refugees to their country, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

The project will materialize soon with the support of national and international non-governmental organizations, Erdogan said at the inauguration ceremony of new houses built in Idlib in northern Syria.

Erdogan was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of new houses built in Syria’s Idlib via video link.

He said that since Turkiye launched its cross-border operations in 2016, around 500,000 Syrians have returned to safe zones in northern Syria.

He underlined that over 57,000 houses for around 50,000 families have so far been built in the Idlib area.

In total, there will be 100,000 houses that will contribute to lessening the suffering of “our Syrian brothers and sisters,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan stressed that the area where houses are being built will also have a mosque, school, health center, bakery, social facility and playground.

He said the project will be realized in coordination with local and international NGO as well local 13 different local councils in northern Syria.

Accordingly, we intend to build self-sufficient residential areas which will include economic and social infrastructure for 1 million Syrian refugees, which Turkiye currently hosts, he added.

Noting that Turkiye has been an active provider of humanitarian aid in different parts of the world, he said that the country does not have any discriminatory attitude.

Recently, Turkiye sent over 5,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and 100 truckloads of aid material to Ukraine, Erdogan added.

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

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN estimates.

Kaynak: