Syrian refugees lined up in the city of Cilvegozu, on the Syrian border with Turkey, this Monday (9), to return home.
“This was our dream,” declared Mohammed Al-Hameed, among dozens of others in Cilvegozu. Mohammed lived in Türkiye for 10 years and will now return to Idlib.
Turkey, a member of NATO, the Western military alliance, hosts approximately 3 million Syrian immigrants, being the largest country of refuge for those who fled the civil war that began in 2011.
Turkey also controls parts of northern Syria, following several incursions against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which the country sees as an extension of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) against which it is fighting.
Additionally, shares of Turkish companies rose today. The civil construction sector was boosted by expectations surrounding the reconstruction scenario in Syria.
Syrian rebels took over the capital Damascus last weekend and the deposed president, Bashar al-Assad, fled to Russia, after 13 years of civil war and more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family.
Understand the conflict in Syria
The Assad family regime was overthrown in Syria on December 8, after 50 years in power, when rebel groups took over the capital Damascus.
President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country and is in Moscow after gaining asylum, according to a source in Russia.
Syria’s civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad suppressed a pro-democracy uprising.
The country was plunged into full-scale conflict when a rebel force was formed, known as the Free Syrian Army, to fight government troops.
Furthermore, the Islamic State, a terrorist group, also managed to gain a foothold in the country and came to control 70% of Syrian territory.
Fighting escalated as other regional actors and world powers — from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States to Russia — joined in, escalating the country’s war into what some observers described as a “proxy war.”
Russia has allied with Bashar al-Assad’s government to combat the Islamic State and rebels, while the United States has led an international coalition to repel the terrorist group.
After a ceasefire agreement in 2020, the conflict remained largely “dormant”, with minor clashes between the rebels and the Assad regime.
More than 300,000 civilians have been killed in more than a decade of war, according to the UN, and millions of people have been displaced across the region.
*With information from CNN
Find out who the Syrian rebel leader is and the group that overthrew Bashar al-Assad
This content was originally published in Video: Dozens of refugees from Syria begin to return home on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
