About 60,000 refugees returned to Syria after Turkey quakes, says minister

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About 60,000 refugees from Syria have returned to their countries since the February 6 earthquakes, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has announced.

"The allegations of illegal crossing from the border do not reflect the truth in any way. We take every precaution," Akar said today (March 27) during a visit to border troops in Hatay, southern Turkey. "After the earthquake disaster ... border security is wanted to be a polemic with ... exaggerated and misleading statements."

He further said there was no new "refugee influx" into Turkey from Syria after the earthquakes, adding that it was the other way around. "About 60,000 Syrians who lost their relatives and homes have returned to Syria voluntarily."

More than 3.7 million refugees from Syria reside in Turkey, according to government figures. 

On February 6, two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 struck the southern city of Maraş.

The quakes affected 10 cities in Turkey's south and southeast, as well as Syria's northern parts, where over 5,000 people were killed.

Turkey's official death toll from the quakes stands at over 50,000 and is expected to increase further, as over 227,000 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged, according to government figures.

Also, about two million people were displaced after the quakes. (ME/VK)