On Monday, hundreds of Syrian refugees gathered at two border crossings in southern Turkey, hoping to return to Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Many refugees arrived at the Cilvegozu and Oncupinar border points early in the morning, with some setting up camp near the border barriers. At the Oncupinar crossing, 29-year-old Mustafa Sultan shared that he was crossing into Syria to find his older brother, who has been imprisoned in Damascus during Assad’s rule.
“I haven’t seen him for 13 years. The prisons are empty now, so I am going to see if he is alive,” Sultan said.
Turkish authorities have not disclosed the number of Syrians who have returned to Syria since Assad’s regime fell.
On December 8, Syrian rebels announced that they had taken control of Damascus, marking the end of Assad’s more than two-decade-long rule. Reports indicate that Assad is currently in Moscow.
In response to these developments, Austria, Germany, Denmark, and Norway have announced a suspension of the processing of asylum applications from Syrians.
