At the time, Hatay was, along with Syria, under French mandate. In 1939 France handed Hatay over to Turkey. Within a month, the Hatay National Assembly was dissolved, and French soldiers left the city. When Hatay was restored to Turkey, some 250 Christian families from Hatay decided to stay in Syria. They were later denaturalized by a Turkish Cabinet decree.Some 1,280 Christians voiced their desire to return to Hatay and have their Turkish citizenship reinstated during Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Syria last October. The group formed a platform in Syria to work for their return to Turkey and informed Turkish officials about their demands during the prime minister’s recent visit.
Upon his return, Erdoğan informed the General Directorate of State Archives and the General Directorate on Population and Citizenship Affairs, which contacted Syrian officials to facilitate the group’s return. As soon as the relevant procedures are completed, the families will be able to return to Turkey. Turkish and Syrian authorities are working together on the issue.
The biggest problem between the two countries concerning population exchange is land disputes, but these 250 families do not demand any land and simply want to return to Hatay.
