Syrians in Turkey Divided Between Hopeful Returns and Lingering Doubts

Overview

More than half a million Syrians have left Turkey since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, reversing part of a migration that once saw 3.5 million Syrians take refuge there. Some, like 18-year-old Ahmed and other families with roots in Aleppo, speak of impatience and optimism about rebuilding their homeland, with a few preparing to move back when finances and conditions allow. Others — including aid workers and professionals — say they will stay in Turkey, citing ongoing insecurity, daily killings, destroyed infrastructure, occupied homes and doubts about the interim leadership under Ahmed Al Sharaa.

Many Syrians also feel pushed by changing policies in Turkey: the end of free medical care for Syrians, tighter hiring rules, restrictions tied to temporary protection and local social pressures. Civil society groups and analysts warn that political shifts ahead of elections could revive xenophobic rhetoric and make the environment harder for Syrians to stay, even as some head home with Turkish citizenship and cautious optimism about rebuilding. as reported by BBC