Turkish mayors offer Syrian refugees one-way tickets to return home

Several Turkish municipal mayors offered Syrian refugees one-way tickets to help them return to their homeland following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Turkey has hosted over three million Syrian refugees over the past decade amid the civil war in Syria. However, the large influx of refugees has led many Turkish citizens to believe that it has caused economic strain and social challenges in the country.

The municipalities extending this offer are affiliated with Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

While the initiative appears to be a compassionate gesture, especially as many Syrians are eager to return home, evident from the long queues of vehicles at the Turkey-Syria border, it has also sparked controversy.

Activists criticised that the language used in these campaigns reflects resentment toward refugees, with some activists labeling it as "racist."

This sentiment is tied to long-standing frustrations in Turkey, where Syrian refugees have often been blamed for social problems and economic decline.

In the past, tensions have boiled over, leading to riots in various parts of the country. Many Syrians were forced to avoid public spaces out of fear of vigilante attacks.

Kilis city mayor and a member of the CHP, Hakan Bilecen shared a message on X offering return tickets to Syrians. However, his post also included a video of a municipal cleaning vehicle operating near the Öncüpınar Border Gate with Syria.

Similarly, the Beypazarı municipality in Ankara issued a statement saying, “Due to the end of the Assad regime in Syria, we, as Beypazarı municipality, will be providing transportation services to help our Syrian friends, whom we have hosted for a long time, return to their homeland. You can fill out an application form at the information desk on the ground floor of the municipality building.”

Several other CHP mayors have echoed similar sentiments, offering support for Syrians wishing to return.

The majority of Syrian refugees in Turkey are from Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Manbij, regions now controlled by opposition forces.