More than a decade after Syria’s civil war began, the Bashar Assad regime has finally fallen. Yet for the more than 3 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, the end of the war doesn’t bring easy answers—it brings new uncertainty.
With anti-refugee sentiment rising in Turkey and political pressure mounting for deportations and “voluntary returns,” many Syrians are now being asked to make an impossible choice: Return to a country still shattered by conflict, or remain in a host country that increasingly doesn’t want them.
This reporting project follows two Syrian families in Turkey—one considering going back, and one trying to build a future in Istanbul despite growing hostility. Through their stories, this project explores questions of identity, belonging, and survival in a post-Assad landscape.
What does “home” mean after 14 years in exile? Who gets to rebuild Syria—and who is left behind?
Photo caption: Bushra Ajaj and Hasan Ajam hold the Syrian flag in Gaziantep, Turkey. Image by Rebecca Rosman/NPR.
