Turkey deports 80 Syrian refugees to Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Turkish authorities deported on Wednesday 80 Syrian refugees through Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey to the countryside of Idlib, northwestern Syria.
The border is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front).
Exclusive sources told North Press that the Turkish authorities forcibly deported 80 Syrian refugees, including 12 women, from Turkey to the countryside of Idlib, through Bab al-Hawa border crossing.
Deportations have increased significantly over the past few days, after they witnessed a decline in the first half of August as a result of the media coverage and the increase of racism against them, the sources added.
On Wednesday, the Turkish authorities deported more than 300 Syrian refugees towards areas controlled by the Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), through the Tel Abyad, Bab al-Salama and Bab al-Hawa border crossings.
Since the beginning of July, Turkey has launched a deportation campaign against the Syrian refugees residing in its territory, especially in Istanbul.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously told reporters that the number of the Syrian refugees who have “voluntarily returned” has exceeded one million and will increase in the future.
According to activists, more than 3,500 Syrians have been deported since July.