After Assad’s fall, Syrians in Turkey consider return

The pull of home can be powerful—even if it’s a place you don’t remember.

That’s what happened to 18-year-old Ahmed. He emerged from a mosque in the center of Gaziantep in southeastern Türkiye, not far from the Syrian border, wearing a black T-shirt with “Syria” written on the front.

His family fled their home country when he was five, but he planned to return in a year or two at most.

“I can’t wait to get there,” he told me. “I first wanted to save money because wages in Syria are very low.” Still, he insists the future there will be better.

“Syria will be rebuilt and it will be like gold,” he said.

If he returns, he would follow in the footsteps of more than 500,000 Syrians who have left Turkey since long-time Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024.

Many have arrived since civil war began to engulf their country in 2011.

Over the next few years, Türkiye became a safe haven, hosting more Syrians than any other country. The number reached 3.5 million at its peak, leading to political tensions and sometimes xenophobic attacks.

Officially, no Syrians will be forced to leave, but some feel they are being pushed by bureaucratic changes and waning welcome.

One Syrian woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said civil society organizations “are getting the message from the authorities that it’s time to leave”.

“I have a lot of good friends in Turkey. Even they and my neighbors ask me why I am still here. Of course we will go back, but in an organized way. If we all went back together, it would be chaos.”

Aya Mustafa, 32, is itching to leave, but not yet. We meet in the winter sun beside the stone walls of a castle that has towered over Gaziantep since Byzantine times. Her hometown of Aleppo is less than two hours away.

Going back is a constant topic of discussion in the Syrian community, she said.

“We talk about this every day, every moment,” said Aya, whose family were lawyers and teachers back home but had to start over in Turkey, making a living through baking and hairdressing.

“We are discussing how to return, when to return and what we can do. But to be honest, we face a lot of challenges. Many families have children who were born here and don’t even speak Arabic.”

Then there’s the extent of the devastation in the new Syria – where the war has had its worst effects – and where interim president Ahmed al-Shara, a former senior leader of al-Qaeda, has struggled to reshape his image.

On a return visit, Aya saw the ruins of Aleppo firsthand. Her home is still standing, but is now occupied by someone else.

“Returning to Syria is a big decision,” she said, “especially for people with older relatives. I have my grandmother and my sister who is disabled. We need basic facilities like water, electricity and jobs to survive there.”

For now, her family cannot survive in Syria, but they will return in time, she said.

“We believe that day will come,” she said, beaming. “(Rebuilding) will take several years. But eventually, we will see everyone in Syria.”

A short drive away, we saw a very different view from a Syrian family of four (father, mother and two teenage sons). The unnamed father runs an aid organization to help his fellow citizens. Over tea and baklava, I asked him and his family if they wanted to move back. His response was swift and firm.

“No, not for me and my family,” he said. “The same goes for my organization. We have projects inside Syria and we want to expand this activity. But my family and my organization will stay in Türkiye.”

When asked why, he listed economic, security, education and health system problems. He told me that Syria’s interim government “has no experience whatsoever in handling the situation.” “Some people are asking us to give them a chance, but a year on, the signs are not good.”

He also visited the new Syria, but like Aya, he was not reassured. “The security situation is very bad,” he said. “Killings happen every day. No matter who the victim is, they have a soul.”

His voice softens when he talks about his 80-year-old father, who lives in Damascus. The father has not seen his grandchildren in 12 years and may never see them again.

For now, he and his family can stay in Türkiye, but he has made contingency plans in case government policies change.

“The plan is that we will stay in Türkiye,” he said. “If we can’t do it, I’ll look at Plan B, C or even D. I’m an engineer and I’m always planning.”

None of these plans involve returning to Syria.

If it’s hard to go home, it’s not easy to stay in Türkiye either. Syrians have “temporary protection” with restrictions. They are not supposed to leave the city where they were originally registered. Work permits are difficult to obtain, and many people work in low-paying jobs and live on the edge.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supports the uprising against Assad, insists no Syrians will be deported, but refugee advocates say pressure is growing beneath the surface.

They point out that free medical care for Syrians will end in January and that new government regulations make it more expensive to employ Syrians.

“These new factors have cast a shadow on the approach to voluntary return,” said Metin Corabatir, director of IGAM, Turkey’s independent research center on asylum and migration.

He said presidential and parliamentary elections in 2028 could be another threat for Syrians.

“Usually President Erdogan is their main protector,” Mr. Kolabatyr told me. “He said they can stay as long as they want. He repeated this after the regime change. But if elections are held and the Justice and Development Party (the ruling party) can gain political benefits, there may be some changes in policy.”

He warned that new elections could revive the xenophobic rhetoric that emerged at the last poll. “Those feelings have gone away,” he said, “but I’m pretty sure the basis for this xenophobic attitude is still there.”

On a cold, gray morning at the border crossing an hour’s drive from Gaziantep, the hills of Syria are clearly visible, not far away.

Mahmud Sattouf and his wife Suad Helal are traveling to their home country – this time just to visit. They have Turkish citizenship and are therefore able to return. For other Syrians, the journey is now one-way.

Teacher Mahmoud’s face was full of excitement.

“We come back because we love our country,” he said. “It’s a huge joy. I have no words to describe it. As we say in English: ‘East, west, home is best’.”

He told us that when the situation in Syria becomes more stable, he and Souad will move back home with their four sons and their families.

“I’m 63 years old,” he said, “but I don’t feel like an old man. I feel young. We’re ready to rebuild our country.”

How does it feel to be back for good? I asked.

“I’m going to be the happiest man in the world,” he said with a smile.