161 Iraqis leave Syria for home following Turkiye’s diplomatic efforts

Following Turkish diplomatic and humanitarian intervention, 161 Iraqi citizens left the Syrian territories via Turkiye to head to their home country on Friday.

They had entered Syria in 2014 to escape clashes in Iraq, and their departure came after diplomatic efforts by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Migration and Displacement and Turkiye’s IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation.

Returning from the city of Tal Abyad and its suburbs in northern Syria, the Iraqis arrived in Turkiye, where they boarded designated buses heading to Iraq.

Mehmet Altintas, from the IHH Humanitarian Diplomacy Unit, told Anadolu Agency that they sent the Iraqi citizens back to their country following humanitarian, and diplomatic efforts.

Altintas explained: “The Iraqis who left are children, women and the elderly… I thank all of the IHH volunteers who helped.”

Iraqis in Syria

Tens of thousands of Iraqis came to Syria from Mosul, Anbar and Salah Al-Din after terrorist organisation Daesh took control of the cities in 2014.

Following Operation Peace Spring, carried out by the Turkish army in 2019, hundreds of Iraqis fled the areas controlled by the YPG-PKK terrorist organisation to the liberated areas as a result of the military operation.

Hundreds of Iraqis have already left Syria to return to their country, thanks to Turkish diplomatic and humanitarian efforts.

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