Turkey says around 370,000 Syrian refugees return to terror-free areas

Around 370,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey voluntarily returned to terror-free areas of their home country.

"Around 370,000 people from our country have returned to areas cleared of terror," Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay told the International Forum on Local Solutions to Migration and Displacement in southeastern Gaziantep province on Tuesday.

"We are putting all services, especially in areas of security, health, education and shelter, road, water, and electricity, into the use of Syrians without any discrimination," Oktay added.

Dozens of Syrian refugees were returned from Turkey on Friday in the first reported repatriations to the area targeted by Ankara's military Operation Peace Spring, launched on October 9, against the YPG/PKK.

Around 70 Syrians, including women and children, crossed from Ceylanpinar in Turkey to Ras al Ayn in Syria.

Qatar's Red Crescent Society said last week it had opened a housing project in partnership with Turkey's AFAD emergency relief authority near the northern Syrian city of Al Bab, which Turkish-backed forces liberated from Daesh two years ago.

Oktay highlighted that Turkey’s anti-terror operations formed safe areas in Syria and helped normalisation of life in those areas.

Anti-terror campaigns 

Operation Euphrates Shield and its successors, Operation Olive Branch in 2018 and Operation Peace Spring, all aim to eliminate terrorist elements near Turkey’s borders, including Daesh and YPG/PKK.

The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organisation. 

In its 30-year terror campaign against the Turkish state, more than 40,000 people have been killed.

Turkey, the US and the EU recognise the PKK as a terrorist organisation.