Half a Million Syrians Leave Turkey as Return Pressures Grow

Return dilemma for Syrians in Turkey

Since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, more than half a million Syrians have left Turkey, which once hosted about 3.5 million refugees. People described in Gaziantep show a split: some, like 18-year-old Ahmed, are eager to return and save to rebuild despite low wages and damaged cities, while others — including aid workers and families with elderly or vulnerable members — refuse to go back because of security risks, destroyed homes and weak public services. The interim Syrian leadership and the scale of war damage add to uncertainty for would-be returnees.

Push factors inside Turkey include the ending of free medical care for Syrians, tougher hiring rules, restrictions tied to "temporary protection" status and rising social pressure or xenophobic sentiment. Civil society groups say these changes and official signals are encouraging returns even if they are nominally voluntary, and experts warn elections could fuel renewed anti-Syrian rhetoric. Many families are weighing complex logistics — children born in Turkey, occupied properties, and lack of jobs and utilities back home — and planning cautious, staged returns as conditions allow, as reported by BBC