Erdoğan Praises Syria's Revival: Half-Million Refugees Return from Türkiye Post-Assad

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan celebrated Syria's rapid progress during a December 7, 2025, meeting with interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, pledging Türkiye's unwavering backing for the war-torn nation's sovereignty and stability. "Syria is rising from its ashes," Erdoğan stated, highlighting joint efforts in security, trade, and refugee returns following Bashar al-Assad's ouster exactly one year prior on December 8, 2024. Official figures confirm over 500,000 Syrians have crossed back from Türkiye by early December, with total returns since 2016 hitting 1.2 million—part of a UNHCR-projected 700,000 from Türkiye alone by year-end.​

Reconstruction and Refugee Surge

Türkiye-Syria cooperation is accelerating on emergency reforms, with Erdoğan emphasizing Syria's "remarkable strides" in stabilizing institutions after 14 years of chaos. Local media reports border trade surging 300% since Assad's fall, while over 2 million internally displaced Syrians have also returned home. UNHCR notes 500,000+ global returns by mid-May 2025, crediting political shifts, though human rights groups flag concerns over voluntary conditions despite no evidence of mass forced deportations.​

Erdoğan's vow aligns with Türkiye's repatriation push—down from 2.9 million registered Syrians at end-2024—framing it as mutual success. Damascus reciprocated, with al-Sharaa thanking Ankara for "brotherly support" in rebuilding, signaling deeper defense and economic pacts ahead.​