Turkey's proposal to establish a safe zone under Ankara and Washington's supervision along the border with Syria has raised hopes of returning home among Syrian refugees.

"If the safe zone had been established before, millions of our citizens would not be in Turkey now," Chairman of Syrian Turkmen Association Ekrem Dede told Anadolu Agency (AA).

He added that the safe zone would allow many asylum seekers to return to their hometowns, even though Turkey has for years hosted Syrians in the best way possible.

On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkey will establish a safe zone in northern Syria along the length of its border with the assistance of the U.S.-led coalition forces.

Speaking to AA, a Syrian lawyer also emphasized the urgent need for a safe zone in northern Syria. "A buffer zone can bring a political solution, security and peace. Most importantly, it can be a good barrier to protect us from terrorist organizations," he added.

Ibrahim Sheriff, a Syrian artisan living in Turkey, said he believes the time was ripe Syrian refugees returned home and added that the other countries should support Turkey's efforts.