A key border crossing between southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria reopened to limited civilian traffic on Tuesday after remaining closed since 2014 amid the Syrian conflict.
Located in Türkiye’s Şanlıurfa province, the Akçakale border crossing, opposite the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, officially resumed entry and exit operations on Tuesday, 12 May.
The decision to reopen the crossing follows a directive issued by the Turkish Interior Ministry.
According to Şanlıurfa provincial officials, a “new chapter” began when Tel Abyad’s customs directorate was transferred to Syria’s new administration earlier this year, prompting what they described as a process of “normalisation” in the restive border region.
The Akçakale crossing was first closed to traffic in 2014 as the conflict in neighbouring Syria escalated and the region became increasingly volatile.
In 2019, limited operations resumed at the crossing, although only for commercial cargo, humanitarian aid deliveries and cross-border travel by authorised public officials.
Under the latest measures, three categories of passport holders will now be permitted to cross the border.
These include Turkish citizens, Syrians with dual nationality, and Syrian nationals legally residing in Türkiye with valid work or residence permits.
During Syria’s years-long conflict, this section of the border region was particularly prone to violence.
Throughout the war, which lasted from 2011 until late 2024, Tel Abyad changed hands several times.
The border town witnessed especially intense fighting in 2015, when it was briefly seized by the ISIS terrorist group, also known locally as Daesh.
The reopening of the Akçakale crossing is considered particularly significant for Türkiye, which continues to host more than three million registered Syrian refugees, many of whom remain under temporary protection status.
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