Türkiye-Syria border crossing reopens to civilians after 12 yrs

ANKARA, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The Akcakale border crossing in southeast Türkiye's Sanliurfa province reopened on Tuesday, ending a 12-year closure, according to private news channel A Haber.

Activity was high from the early morning hours, A Haber said, with passport checks underway at booths and security measures at the highest level.

The crossing sits directly across from the town of Tal Abyad in northern Syria.

On Monday, the Sanliurfa province announced that passport-based entry and exit procedures would resume on Tuesday at the crossing.

The crossing had been closed to commercial and civilian traffic since 2014 due to internal conflicts in Syria. It was partially reopened in 2019 for trade, funerals, and the passage of government officials following a Turkish military operation.

The latest move fully opens the crossing to civilians, making it the sixth operational crossing along Türkiye's 900-km border with Syria, which has remained largely restricted since the Syrian conflict began in 2011. Enditem