400,000+ Syrians in Turkey returned home: Interior Ministry

ANKARA

Turkey currently hosts 3.58 million Syrians, while over 400,000 have returned to their country, according to official Interior Ministry figures released on Tuesday.

While Turkey still hosts more Syrian refugees in the world than any other country, according to the figures, its anti-terrorist operations across the border into northern Syria since 2016 have also allowed hundreds of thousands of Syrians in Turkey to resettle in their homeland.

Speaking at a monthly news briefing, ministry spokesman Ismail Catakli also gave the latest numbers for anti-terror operations across the country during the month of April.

"A total of 8,163 operations across rural areas were carried out, including three major operations and 27 medium sized, and 252 operations were carried out in cities in April," Catakli said.

Underscoring that the terrorist group YPG/PKK is seeing its worst recruitment numbers ever, he said it had managed to attract only 13 new members since the beginning of the year.

In recent years Turkey has touted its success in operations against the YPG/PKK, convincing its members to surrender, and crippling its ability to replenish its thinning ranks.

Catakli also said a total of 37 terrorists were neutralized during anti-terror operations in April.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in statements to imply terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.

*Writing by Merve Aydogan in Ankara