Turkish minister: 10,633 refugees returned to Syria

Turkish minister: 10,633 refugees returned to Syria
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Defense minister Akar has denied claims that there is a new inflow of Syrian refugees into Turkey after the quakes on 6 February devastated parts of Syria's north.

Turkish defense minister denied on Sunday that there is a fresh "inflow of Syrian migrants" to Turkey after the earthquakes on 6 February, and that contrary to such false reports thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey have returned to their home country because of the disaster caused by the quake.

According to Turkish state news agency AA, minister Hulusi Akar asked border officials at the Yayladag Border Crossing in the southern province of Hatay about claims on social media that large numbers of Syrian quake survivors have recently taken refuge in Turkey.

The officials reportedly responded: "There is no such inflow here. On the contrary, the Syrian refugees whose homes in Turkey were destroyed by the quake are going back to resettle."

After inspecting some other border crossings and military posts, Akar said:

"Some sources of sedition have voiced claims that there is an 'inflow of refugees' at the border. Such claims are totally false. There is an inflow neither at border crossing nor across the border line (...) The officials stated that contrary to such claims there is an intense one way outflow, a flow of Syrians from Turkey into Syria. They said that our Syrian brothers who lost their families and homes in the earthquake have been voluntarily going back to their home towns."

He added:

"A total of 10,633 Syrian have been reported to have returned to their home country after the earthquake."