Turkey to send 1 million refugees to Syria, says Erdoğan
Erdoğan has said that the Turkish government is preparing to send 1 million Syrian refugees to northern Syria under a new project aiming to build houses in the war-torn country.
Duvar English
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has a new project to send 1 million Syrian refugees back to their country.
“We are in preparations of a new project that will ensure the voluntary return of our 1 million Syrian guests whom we are hosting in our country,” Erdoğan said on May 3.
Erdoğan made the comments while speaking via a video link at the inauguration ceremony of a briquette housing project in Syria's Idlib. Erdoğan said that 500,000 Syrians have already returned to “safe zones” since the launch of Turkey's military operations into Syria in 2016.
“We are supporting the strategy towards keeping migration across our borders via projects that encourage volunteer returns. The construction of briquette houses is one of these steps,” he said.
Erdoğan also said that Turkey will implement the project together with local councils in Syria's 13 regions, including Azes, Jarablus and Tel Abyad.