"The number of forcibly displaced people worldwide has exceeded 120 million"

Speaking at the opening of the forum, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hacı Ali Özel stated that the world and the region are facing a multidimensional test under migration pressure.

Deputy Minister Hacı Ali Özel stated, "Today, due to reasons such as armed conflicts, climate change, natural disasters, poverty, food and water insecurity, as well as economic and social vulnerabilities, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide has exceeded 120 million."

Pointing out that ongoing conflicts increase the burden on regional countries like Türkiye, which are directly exposed to mass migration movements, Deputy Minister Hacı Ali Özel emphasized that the most painful reflections of this are seen in the humanitarian crisis and forced migration movements in the Middle East.

"Israel's actions are increasing migration pressure and security risks"

Stating that Israel's aggressive and expansionist policies, which disregard international law, severely damage peace and stability in the region, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hacı Ali Özel noted the following:

"Its inhumane actions in Gaza, the practices of occupation and annexation in Palestine, and the attacks on Lebanon are displacing hundreds of thousands of people, thereby increasing migration pressure and security risks throughout the region."

Deputy Minister Hacı Ali Özel expressed that Türkiye will continue to advocate an approach based on shared responsibility, effective international cooperation, and human-centered solutions grounded in international law in migration management.

Stating that Türkiye continues to share its experience in international platforms, particularly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hacı Ali Özel expressed his hope that the forum would contribute to fruitful discussions and joint efforts to find solutions.

"Over 700,000 people have voluntarily returned since 8 December"

Deputy Minister of Interior Mehmet Cangir, on the other hand, stated that the Syrian crisis has turned into a major test for the international community, and that Türkiye, as the country hosting the largest number of Syrians, has fulfilled its humanitarian responsibility.

Addressing the principles of Türkiye's policy on returns, Deputy Minister Mehmet Cangir stated:

"From Türkiye's perspective, there is a single core principle at the foundation of the return policy: Returns must take place in a voluntary, safe, dignified, and orderly manner. We have built all our practices upon this principle. We continue to carry out the process within the framework of international law and human rights standards, in addition to our national legislation."

Noting that voluntary returns have gained significant momentum following the regime change in Syria on 8 December 2024, Deputy Minister Mehmet Cangir stated, "Since 8 December alone, the number of individuals who voluntarily returned has surpassed 700,000. This picture demonstrates an important reality to us. People naturally wish to return to their own countries once safe conditions are established."

The number of Syrians under temporary protection has dropped to 2.2 million

Within the scope of the forum, a panel titled "The Future of Regional Migration Movements, Regional Stability, and Regional Coordination in Voluntary Returns: Shared Responsibility Models" was held under the moderation of GDV President Recep Seyyar.

President of Migration Management Muhammet Selami Yazıcı, who participated in the panel, stated that Türkiye carries out comprehensive efforts in the fields of regular migration, international and temporary protection, voluntary return, border management, and combating irregular migration.

Reminding that President of the Republic Recep Tayyip Erdoğan clearly stated during the 2023 election period that Syrians would not be forcibly deported, President of Migration Management Muhammet Selami Yazıcı used the following expressions: "Our esteemed President of the Republic displayed a stance capable of saying, 'Our Syrian brothers and sisters are most welcome; we will never send them back by force.' That served as a great beacon of hope for us at that time."

Reporting that the number of Syrians under temporary protection has dropped to 2.2 million following the voluntary returns that accelerated after 8 December in Syria, President Muhammet Selami Yazıcı announced that approximately 1.5 million people have voluntarily returned to their country to date.

Expressing his hopes that the forum would be fruitful, President of Migration Management Muhammet Selami Yazıcı stated that they are ready to provide all kinds of contributions to the efforts throughout the 3 days.

The session also featured Minister of Social Affairs of Lebanon Haneen Sayed, Deputy Minister of Displacement and Migration of Iraq Karim Al-Nuri, Deputy Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management of Syria Ahmed Ekzayez, and Acting Director General for Migration Policies and Visa Procedures at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Reyhan Özgür as speakers.

Göç ve Diaspora Vakfı (GDV) ev sahipliğinde düzenlenen ve üç gün sürecek olan Bölgesel Göç ve Geri Dönüş Forumu, 'Suriye'ye Güvenli ve Sürdürülebilir Dönüş Perspektifleri' başlığıyla Ankara'da başladı.

Forumun ilk gün oturumlarında "Bölgesel Sahiplenme ve Kriz Yönetiminde Vizyon… pic.twitter.com/pB5HGGMJJA

— Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı (@Gocidaresi) July 21, 2026