Since Bashar al-Assad's fall in December 2024, more than half a million Syrians have left Turkey to consider returning to their homeland. Turkey, which sheltered over 3.5 million Syrians since 2011, now sees many eager to go back despite the tough conditions. Ahmed, 18, who left Syria at five, plans to return soon. "I am impatient to get there," he says, saving money as wages are low in Syria. He believes, "Syria will be rebuilt and it will be like gold." Aya Mustafa, 32, also dreams of going back to Aleppo but notes challenges like damaged cities and children born in Turkey who don't speak Arabic. "We need basics like electricity, water and jobs," she says, but firmly believes "that day will come." Others remain cautious. A Syrian aid worker in Turkey refuses to return, citing poor security, economy, and health systems in Syria. He said, "The security situation is very bad. Every day there are killings." Though Turkey’s President Erdogan assures no Syrians will be forced out, bureaucratic changes and reduced support hint at pressure to leave. "These new elements cast a shadow over how voluntary returns are," says Metin Corabatir from Turkish research centre IGAM. With elections approaching in 2028, fears of rising xenophobia in Turkey linger. Meanwhile, some Syrians like Mahmud Sattouf, now Turkish citizens, are excited to visit or move back soon. "East, west, home is best," he says, ready to rebuild and be "the most happy man in the world."