Syrian refugees in Türkiye cross border to spend Eid at home

KİLİS

Thousands of Syrian refugees residing in Türkiye have flocked to border crossings to spend the first Eid al-Adha since the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in their homeland.

Local media captured scenes of long queues at border gates days before June 6, when the four-day Eid holiday began.

Among those returning, some said they would come back to Türkiye after the holiday, while others announced they were making a permanent return.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, Türkiye granted Syrian refugees permission to travel back to Syria up to three times before deciding on permanent resettlement.

“Syria is slowly recovering. I hope all refugees will return one day, because we all have a role to play. Together, we will build a better future, God willing,” Hüseyin Salih, who has been living in Istanbul for the past 14 years, told reporters while waiting in line at the Öncüpınar Border Gate.

Another refugee from Istanbul, Mahmud Kila, who has spent a decade in Türkiye, said: “I had beautiful times here. I’m very grateful to Türkiye. But now, I am returning to Aleppo permanently.”

Since the outbreak of civil war in Syria in 2011, Türkiye has become the host of the world’s largest Syrian refugee population. According to figures from the Turkish Interior Ministry as of late May, 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees remain in the country. Since the fall of Assad in December 2024, 250,064 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their homeland as of May 29.

Turkish authorities expect more permanent returns to follow after the end of the academic year on June 20.

Meanwhile, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa marked the occasion by exchanging Eid greetings with citizens and officials during a reception at the presidential palace in the capital Damascus.

For Eid prayers, thousands gathered at the historic Umayyad Mosque in the heart of Damascus.

Worshippers from across the country congregated at the mosque to pray for peace and stability in Syria.