Syria Support Movement solidarity with the Syrian people
from the News Desk at The Cradle, February 20, 2023
The Turkish defense minister disclosed this new development while dismissing claims that Turkiye has faced a new influx of Syrian migrants through its southern border
Following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Syria and Turkiye on 6 February, 10,663 Syrians in Turkiye voluntarily crossed the border to return to their home country on 19 February, according to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
Akar disclosed this new development while dismissing claims that Turkiye has faced a new influx of Syrian migrants through its southern border, which he classified as “completely untrue.”
Akar affirmed that contrary to claims that there was a mass crossing of Syrian immigrants into Turkiye, Turkish border officials reported that “Syrian citizens crossed the border in one direction, from Turkiye to Syria.”
Akar disclosed that Turkiye has thermal cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles monitoring border activity 24/7 and that there has been no movement at the border, nor any attempts to cross over from the Syrian side.
Around 3.6 million Syrian refugees currently reside in Turkiye due to Ankara opening its border to provide safe passage for refugees following the start of the US-backed war in Syria in 2011. Since the beginning of the war, over 13.4 million Syrian refugees have fled their country.
Despite Turkiye opening its borders on 3 January, the Turkish Ministry of Affairs and Immigration Management disclosed that 280,206 immigrants were denied entry into Turkiye, deporting 58,758 Syrian refugees back to Damascus in 2022.
In November 2022, Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Catakli revealed that 531,326 Syrian refugees had returned to their home country.
Catakli added that the international community has been negatively impacted by the influx of Syrian migrants escaping the western-sponsored war and that Turkiye will continue its efforts to prevent illegal immigration into its territory.
This comes alongside a renewed military campaign by Ankara in northern Syria that seeks to establish a “safe zone” for repatriated Syrians.
Since the start of the war, Turkiye has heavily funded opposition groups in Syria in a bid to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, despite recent reconciliation efforts.
Until now, Turkiye maintains its military occupation in northern Syria to combat Kurdish separatist groups such as the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the People Defense Units (YPG). Damascus frequently condemns Ankara’s attacks in its northern region.
Lebanon hosts the second largest population of Syrian refugees after Turkiye, estimated at 1.5 million. Since October 2022, Beirut has implemented a repatriation plan to ease the burden for the crisis-struck nation.
