Turkey has reported that more than 2.3 million Syrians are under its protection
Millions of foreigners continue to reside in Turkey, with Syrians holding temporary protection status constituting the largest group. At the same time, the country reports that some refugees have been gradually returning to Syria in recent years.
There are officially more than 3.6 million foreigners in Turkey, and nearly two-thirds of them are Syrian citizens with temporary protection status. This was stated by Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi while commenting on the current migration situation in the country.
According to him, the total number of foreigners legally residing in Turkey is 3,632,064. Of these, 2,264,983 are Syrians under temporary protection. “There are 3,632,064 foreigners legally residing in our country. Of these, 2,264,983 are Syrians under temporary protection. Between 2016 and 2026, 1,425,000 people returned to their country voluntarily, safely, and with dignity,” Çiftçi noted.
He emphasized that Turkey is simultaneously continuing its policy of controlling migration flows and combating the illegal smuggling of people across the border by strengthening security measures and border infrastructure. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the country has already completed the construction of 1,329 kilometers of a protective border wall, and work is still ongoing on some sections.
The ministry notes that Turkey’s migration policy combines border control, legal status for refugees, and voluntary return programs to countries of origin, primarily Syria. This was reported by TRT Haber.
Turkey has deployed the Bayraktar TB3 maritime drone, equipped with electronic warfare systems for reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures, for the first time. The drone took off from the ship TCG Anadolu and operated with modules capable of detecting and jamming radars.
