Ankara Plans Accelerating Syrian Refugee Return Through ‘Aleppo Development’

Spraying of the Zardana camp in northwestern Syria with water amid a significant rise in temperatures on Monday (AFP)
Spraying of the Zardana camp in northwestern Syria with water amid a significant rise in temperatures on Monday (AFP)
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Ankara Plans Accelerating Syrian Refugee Return Through ‘Aleppo Development’

Spraying of the Zardana camp in northwestern Syria with water amid a significant rise in temperatures on Monday (AFP)
Spraying of the Zardana camp in northwestern Syria with water amid a significant rise in temperatures on Monday (AFP)

Turkish media reports revealed that the government, under the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has established a tripartite mechanism aimed at accelerating voluntary repatriation efforts for Syrian refugees, with a focus on economic and social development in the Aleppo province in northwestern Syria.

The “Sabah” newspaper, closely aligned with the Turkish government, has stated that Erdogan issued directives to establish a tripartite mechanism consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the ruling Justice and Development Party, and its parliamentary bloc.

This mechanism aims to encourage Syrians to voluntarily return to areas being cleared by forces and factions loyal to Ankara.

The tripartite mechanism will concentrate its efforts on “revitalizing economic and commercial life in the areas cleared in northern Syria” and promoting entrepreneurs, including Turks, to establish projects, factories, and facilities there to provide employment opportunities for returnees.

Sabah highlighted a significant aspect of the roadmap being pursued by the mechanism, which is the emphasis on Aleppo province, known as Syria’s economic capital, with the goal of reviving it both economically and socially.

In pursuit of this, Türkiye continues negotiations with both the Russian and Syrian sides to include Aleppo in the roadmap, a move aimed at creating employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who will be encouraged to return to their homeland.

Last week, a writer for “Hürriyet Daily News” revealed two prominent issues concerning Syria that will be the focus of discussions between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the latter’s potential visit to Türkiye in August.

The first issue is the return of refugees, and the second is the normalization between Ankara and Damascus, including a potential meeting between Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

The writer further emphasized the importance of the Erdogan-Assad meeting, as Türkiye’s priority lies in ensuring the safe return of Syrians to their homeland. They noted that a significant portion of Syrians in Türkiye are from the Aleppo province, and it is essential to guarantee their safe return to their original areas.

Ankara’s vision in this regard involves establishing security points in coordination between the Turkish and Syrian armies.



Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Fire Kills 8 Near Aid Centers, 4 Others

19 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Palestinians gather along the Coastal Road in the Al-Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza as they wait for humanitarian aid expected to arrive through the Zikim crossing on 19 June 2025. (dpa)
19 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Palestinians gather along the Coastal Road in the Al-Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza as they wait for humanitarian aid expected to arrive through the Zikim crossing on 19 June 2025. (dpa)
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Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Fire Kills 8 Near Aid Centers, 4 Others

19 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Palestinians gather along the Coastal Road in the Al-Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza as they wait for humanitarian aid expected to arrive through the Zikim crossing on 19 June 2025. (dpa)
19 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Palestinians gather along the Coastal Road in the Al-Sudaniyya area of northern Gaza as they wait for humanitarian aid expected to arrive through the Zikim crossing on 19 June 2025. (dpa)

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli fire killed at least 12 people on Saturday, including eight who had gathered near aid distribution sites in the Palestinian territory suffering severe food shortages.

Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that three people were killed by gunfire from Israeli forces while waiting to collect aid in the southern Gaza Strip.

In a separate incident, Bassal said five people were killed in a central area known as the Netzarim corridor, where thousands of Palestinians have gathered daily in the hope of receiving food rations.

The Israeli army told AFP it was "looking into" both incidents, which according to the civil defense agency occurred near distribution centers run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Its operations began at the end of May when Israel eased a total aid blockade that lasted more than two months but have been marred by chaotic scenes and neutrality concerns.

UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said on Saturday that 450 people had been killed and 3,466 others injured while seeking aid in near-daily incidents since late May.

The Israeli blockade imposed in early March amid an impasse in truce negotiations had produced famine-like conditions across Gaza, according to rights groups.

Israel's military has pressed its operations across Gaza more than 20 months since an unprecedented Hamas attack triggered the devastating war, and even as attention has shifted to the war with Iran since June 13.

Bassal told AFP that three people were killed on Saturday in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City in the north, and one more in another strike on the southern city of Khan Younis.

Israeli forces also demolished more than 10 houses in Gaza City "by detonating them with explosives", he added.

Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities.

Earlier this week, the UN's World Health Organization warned that Gaza's health system was at a "breaking point", pleading for fuel to be allowed into the territory to keep its remaining hospitals running.

The Hamas attack in October 2023 that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 55,908 people, also mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The UN considers these figures reliable.