Syria war: Fall of Damascus appears to align with long-time goals of neighbour Turkiye

Large crowds in Kilis, Turkiye, celebrate the downfall of Assad's government, urging Syrian refugees to return home.

Syrian refugees across Turkiye jubilantly welcomed the downfall of Bashar Assad’s government Sunday (December 9, 2024), with many embracing the chance to return to their homeland.

Large crowds waving Syrian and Turkish flags gathered in the main square of Kilis, a border city in southern Turkiye.

In Hatay province, which also lies on the Syrian frontier, many said it was time to go home after years of living in Turkiye, which hosts some 3 million Syrians.

“We are free now, everyone should return to their homeland,” Mahmud Esma told the DHA news agency at the Cilvegozu border gate.

Turkiye, which shares a 911-kilometer long frontier with Syria, has been a main backer of opposition groups aiming to topple Assad since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.

While Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement, observers believe that the offensive, which appears to be aligned with Turkiye’s long-time goals, could not have gone ahead without Ankara’s consent.

It has allowed Turkiye, through its Syrian proxy the Syrian National Army, to push back against Kurdish forces in Syria allied to its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.