Overview

More than half a million Syrians have left Turkey since Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024, with many planning or debating returns to a homeland most fled as children. Turkey once hosted about 3.5 million Syrians, but a mix of bureaucratic changes, reduced social support (including the end of free medical care from January), harder-to-get work permits and a cooling welcome have prompted many to consider going back. Personal accounts in Gaziantep illustrate the split: some, like 18-year-old Ahmed, are eager to return and are saving to rebuild their lives, while others — including families running aid projects — refuse to move because of security, economic and governance concerns in Syria.

The decision to return is complicated by the scale of destruction in much of Syria, ongoing violence and basic service shortages such as electricity, water and jobs, and by political uncertainty under an interim government led by Ahmed Al Sharaa, a former militant leader seeking to recast his image. Syrians in Turkey also live under