Almost two years after being pulled out of the rubble with his father in Hatay following the Feb. 6 earthquakes, 6-year-old Ömer Talha has returned to Syria, a country he has never seen but promises to be a new one in the wake of the Assad regime’s collapse.
During the crossing, Ömer carried the prosthetic leg that replaced the one his father lost in the disaster.
The return of Syrians to their homeland continues through Hatay's Cilvegözü Border Gate, as people affected by the civil war following the fall of the 61-year Baath regime in Syria seek to rebuild their lives.
Ömer's life was upended when the earthquake destroyed their home in Hatay, claiming the lives of his mother, younger sibling, grandfather and grandmother.
He and his father, Muhammed Talha, were pulled from the rubble together after five days. Now, they have decided to return to Syria.
Ömer stayed close to his father during customs procedures, never leaving his side.
As they crossed the border, the boy carried a prosthetic leg that was nearly as tall as him and accompanied his father into Syria.
In their hometown of Hama, Ömer will meet his aunt, who awaits them.
Muhammed Talha, walking with crutches, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that he arrived in Türkiye 11 years ago with his wife. Now, he is returning without her, one of his children and one of his legs.
Despite the pain of loss, Talha expressed joy at returning to his homeland, shedding tears as he shared his gratitude: "I want to thank the Turkish people who treated us with such kindness. I am especially grateful to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his care and support. We never faced harm in Türkiye, and leaving our Turkish neighbors was heartbreaking for both sides."
Talha added that his wife and son are buried in Antakya, and he hopes to return to Türkiye occasionally to visit their graves.
Determined to rebuild his life, Talha said: "My son has lost his mother, brother, grandmother and grandfather. Together, we will create a new life. My sister is waiting for us and will help care for my son."
Syrians who sought refuge in Türkiye during the 13-year civil war in their home country continue returning to Syria following the fall of the decades-long Baath regime.
Lining up at the Öncüpınar Customs Gate in Türkiye's southern Kilis province, Syrians complete the procedures at migration repatriation centers to return home.
The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and Türkiye's Diyanet Foundation have set up catering tents for returning Syrians, while Kilis Governor Tahir Şahin inspected the work at the border crossing.
"Now that (Bashar) Assad is gone, the war is over and we're returning to our country," Abdulkerim Farriz, who was a doctor in Syria and took refuge in Türkiye nine years ago, told AA.
Ibrahim Güzel, who came from Syria 13 years ago, said that he was satisfied in Türkiye, adding that he had very nice neighbors and friends here and that he wanted to host them for a visit to his country.
Menal Naime, 10 years old, also thanked the Turkish people for hosting them.
Ali Farriz, for his part, stated: "I love it very much. I'm sad to leave Türkiye but very happy to return to my country."
During the Syrian civil war, some 4 million Syrians took shelter in Türkiye, more than any other country in the world.
