Over 273,000 Syrians Return Home as Türkiye Backs Post-Assad Transition
Syrian refugees
More than 273,000 Syrian refugees who once sought safety in Türkiye have returned to Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz announced Friday.
According to statements published by the Anadolu Agency, Yılmaz confirmed that the returns are part of a voluntary repatriation wave, now exceeding 273,000 people since December 8, 2024.
Despite the increase in returns, approximately 2.7 million Syrians still reside in Türkiye, based on data from the Interior Ministry released in May 2025. The Turkish government, which has aligned itself with Syria’s new leadership, is prioritizing a strategy of gradual refugee resettlement to ease socioeconomic tensions in local communities.
The shift in Syria’s internal governance, following Assad’s ousting, has opened pathways for refugee return initiatives that Türkiye hopes to expand in coordination with international partners.
Rising Death Toll in Gaza Amid Israeli Attacks Near Aid Sites
Meanwhile, escalating conflict in Gaza has claimed more civilian lives, as Israeli military fire and airstrikes killed at least 12 Palestinians on Sunday, according to local health officials. Among the dead were five individuals killed near aid distribution centers operated by the US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Medical personnel at Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza reported that three people were shot while approaching a GHF aid site near the Netzarim corridor, and two more died en route to another humanitarian point in Rafah, southern Gaza.
In a separate attack, seven more Palestinians were killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Beit Lahia region in northern Gaza. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incidents.
The GHF began food aid operations in Gaza at the end of May after Israel partially lifted a nearly three-month total blockade. However, these efforts have been marred by frequent violence, with numerous civilians killed during mass gatherings to access aid.
The United Nations has voiced strong opposition to the Israeli-led humanitarian distribution system, describing it as inadequate, dangerous, and in violation of international humanitarian principles.