A delegation from the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) visited the Bayırbucak Turkmen region in Syria’s Latakia province.
The delegation, which entered the region through the Yayladağı Border Gate, included Aleppo Consul General Hakan Cengiz and YTB President Abdullah Eren.
The delegation visited the Turkmen settlements of Turunç (Um Tuyur), Kastal Maaf and Burç Islam villages.
The Turkmen welcomed the delegation with great enthusiasm, waving Turkish, Syrian Turkmen and Syrian flags.
As part of the visit, the YTB delegation met with residents of the Turkmen villages to listen to their concerns and needs.
Speaking to an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter, Eren stated that they were the first official delegation from Türkiye to visit Syria since 2011.
"We embraced and gathered with the Turkmen, listening to their problems and requests. There is great enthusiasm, happiness and excitement here," Eren said.
Emphasizing the significant population decline in the Bayırbucak region due to the war, Eren noted: "We identified deficiencies in reconstruction, housing, municipal services and basic infrastructure. There are serious problems with essential needs such as water, sewage and electricity."
Eren also expressed that the reconstruction of Syria following the fall of the Bashar Assad regime would be a source of hope for the Turkmen.
Eren recalled that the YTB has been providing scholarship support to Syrian Turkmen in Türkiye since 2012 and announced a new initiative.
"Starting this year, we are launching a new scholarship program to encourage young people who graduate from high school in Syria to pursue university education in Türkiye and return to their country," he said.
Eren noted that around 800 Turkmen students are currently studying at universities in Latakia, adding that the interest of young people in higher education was encouraging.
Şevket Akça, a third-year mathematics student from Kulcuk village in the Bayırbucak region, shared the difficulties Turkmen students face under the Assad regime and requested educational support from Türkiye.
"After completing my education, I want to pursue a master’s degree and a Ph.D. We kindly request scholarships for new students who would like to study in Türkiye," Akça said.
