The Syrian Consulate in Istanbul issued a notice to citizens wishing to visit Syria in the coming period through land border crossings from the Republic of Turkey.
The consulate explained in a statement published on its official Facebook page that Syrian citizens who hold another nationality must present the passport of their foreign nationality, along with a valid Syrian passport.
The consulate’s statement said that a Syrian citizen who holds another nationality and enters Syria from a country other than Turkey will not be allowed to enter Turkish territory when returning to their country of residence, and must return through the same country or crossing from which they entered Syria.
The consulate confirmed that every Syrian citizen who enters Syria through the Turkish border and intends to return to Turkey must return through the same border gate through which they entered Syrian territory.
The consulate also stressed that non-Syrian citizens are not allowed to cross from the Republic of Turkey to the Syrian Arab Republic through land border crossings.
Akçakale Crossing Reopens
The governorate of Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey announced the reopening of the Akçakale border crossing, opposite the Syrian city of Tell Abyad (Raqqa, northern Syria), starting on Tuesday, May 12.
A statement issued by the governorate said trade and passenger movement at the crossing had stopped in 2014 because of internal unrest in the Syrian Arab Republic.
In 2019, the crossing was used for humanitarian aid purposes, as well as for the passage of people for commercial purposes, condolences, and government employees, according to rules set by the Turkish Interior Ministry.
According to the statement, passage through the crossing will be available to Turkish citizens, Syrians with dual nationality, and Syrian citizens who hold valid residence permits in Turkey or work permits that serve as alternatives to residence permits. They may use their passports to cross.
The statement said applications for crossing for commercial purposes or special cases for Syrian citizens covered by the temporary protection system will be assessed under relevant laws after they are submitted to the governorate’s Humanitarian Assistance and Coordination Center.
Rights of Those Who Returned Under the Voluntary Return Program
In this context, Jalal Demir, head of the House of Arab Journalists in Turkey, said on his official Facebook page that those who returned to Syria under the voluntary return program have the legal right to return to Turkey for a visit.
This applies if tourist visas from Syria to Turkey are opened, noting that tourist visas for Syrians coming from Syria are currently unavailable.
Demir also explained that those who made a voluntary return may later apply for residence in Turkey, either through the Turkish embassy or by first obtaining an entry visa and then submitting a residence application.
The visas currently available, according to Demir, are limited to commercial, medical, and educational visas, with difficulties in obtaining them because of the large number of applications.
Demir noted that there are currently no legal visits from Turkey to Syria, except for commercial visits or those related to humanitarian work within an official position at an association or organization.
Regarding exceptional citizenship files, Jalal Demir explained that they have been suspended for three years, in line with the approach of former Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who considered that the granting of exceptional citizenship had moved beyond the framework of exception and become a general case.
Demir said the current Turkish Interior Ministry has placed these files back on its agenda, and results are expected to appear in the coming days.
He noted that the voluntary return program does not affect a citizenship file, and a citizenship application can also be followed up through the Turkish embassy if the results are positive.
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