Doctor Mehdi Davut expresses his excitement as he prepares to return to Syria for the first time in eight years, aiming to assess how his aid organization can assist in Aleppo, a significant city that was recently captured by rebels.”The liberation of Aleppo has filled us with joy, as it was a place of great suffering,”  shared with Reuters in Istanbul, where approximately half a million Syrians reside.

Syrian rebels have taken control of Aleppo from President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, igniting hopes among the hundreds of thousands who were displaced from the city, which had been under Assad’s rule since 2016. On Thursday, the rebels announced their advance further south into the city of Hama.

Since the onset of the Syrian war, which began as part of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising against Assad’s regime, hundreds of thousands have lost their lives. Over half of the pre-war population of 23 million has been displaced, with millions seeking refuge abroad, particularly in Turkey.

Many of those who relocated have learned Turkish, enrolled their children in local schools, and some have even obtained Turkish citizenship, yet they remain hopeful of returning to their homeland one day.

According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, more than 40% of the 3 million Syrians in Turkey hail from Aleppo, which was once the largest city in the country. However, much of it was devastated when Syrian forces, supported by Russia and Iran, besieged and captured rebel-held territories eight years ago.

Davut, who leads an organization dedicated to aiding Syrians in Turkey, traveled to Aleppo on Thursday to evaluate the need for food and medical supplies. However, he expressed doubts about the likelihood of Syrians returning from Turkey in the near future.

Concerns about a potential new attack were expressed, with references made to military actions by forces loyal to Assad. “He will not relinquish his position easily,” he remarked.

“I believe that even those who are considering returning will likely wait at least six months to a year,” he added.

SYRIANS ADVISED TO EXERCISE PATIENCE

In July, President Tayyip Erdogan extended an invitation to meet with Assad as part of reconciliation efforts. At that time, he noted that 670,000 individuals had returned to Syria from Turkey and anticipated that another million would follow.

However, Yerlikaya urged caution. “Currently, we advise those from Aleppo who express a desire to return immediately to hold off. We will announce when the region is deemed safe,” he informed reporters on Wednesday.

Since 2020, the situation in northwest Syria has stabilized due to an agreement between Turkey, a NATO member supporting the political and armed opposition, and Russia, a significant ally of Assad.

Ankara has stated that it did not authorize or support the recent rebel operation, emphasizing that Assad must reconcile with both his citizens and the opposition. Moscow has expressed strong support for Damascus’s efforts to combat what it describes as terrorist groups receiving external backing.

Hadi al-Bahra, the leader of Syria’s main opposition abroad, informed Reuters that the rebel operation aims, in part, to facilitate the reopening of Aleppo for those displaced on both sides of the border, including up to 600,000 individuals from Turkey, contingent upon the city’s stabilization.

The insurgents comprise a coalition of mainstream secular armed groups supported by Turkey, with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) at the forefront. HTS is an Islamist organization that has been classified as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, Russia, and several other nations.

Despite concerns regarding potential instability, the developments in Aleppo brought a sense of joy to the health clinic managed by Davut in Istanbul’s Fatih district, where staff celebrated by distributing sweets.

“God willing, we can return to Aleppo, as we are far from our family and loved ones,” expressed nurse Intisar Ashour, 50, who left the city a decade ago. “This joy comes from the depths of our hearts, and I pray for the chance to go back.” She recounted leaving Aleppo with her siblings after one of her brothers was killed in a barrel bombing.

In another part of Fatih, Mahir, a 60-year-old Syrian shopkeeper, noted that everyone he spoke with was pleased about the news from Aleppo, with some contemplating a return. However, he expressed apprehension about the future, having spent a year in prison in Damascus.

“We have endured 50 years under the Assad regime, first the father and then the son. It has been dreadful. You cannot fathom the suffering of the Syrian people,” he remarked. “I hope those currently fighting will prevail, as they can forge a new life and a new country for the next generation.”