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ONCUPINAR, Turkey: Tens of thousands of Syrians who fled their country’s civil war to Turkey are returning home temporarily to Syria to celebrate a major Muslim holiday, Turkish officials said Monday.
Almost 3 million Syrians have taken refuge in Turkey since the conflict broke out in 2011, the vast majority living in big cities rather than in camps.
But a relative stability has descended on some areas in northwest Syria following a Turkish military operation against jihadists and a cease-fire backed by Ankara and Moscow earlier this year.
The authorities in Turkey’s southern province of Kilis bordering Syria have put in place a special system whereby Syrians can go home for Eid Al-Adha and return to Turkey afterwards.
After uploading details on a special Internet site and registering, they can leave Turkish territory through the Oncupinar border gate until Wednesday and then must return by Oct. 15.
Long lines of Syrian families, laden with baggage, were queueing Monday to cross through Oncupinar in time for the start of the holidays, an AFP photographer said.
A local Turkish official said 40,360 Syrians had crossed over so far with around 4,000 people now crossing every day.
Some used umbrellas to protect from the merciless afternoon sun while young children slept in the shade on rugs as the formalities were carried out.
The crossings have been allowed since August 15, according to the Kilis governorate. Turkey will celebrate the Eid Al-Adha on Friday.
The Syrians were returning to towns including Al-Bab and Jarabulus, which were cleared of Daesh extremists in Turkey’s Euphrates Shield cross-border operation which wrapped up earlier this year.
Turkish state media reports have indicated that life in the towns is gradually returning to normal with schools reopening and municipal services resuming.
Turkey had previously allowed Syrians to return home temporarily earlier this year for the Eid Al-Fitr festival that follows Ramadan.