Akçakale, Turkey — May 12, 2026 Turkey-Syria border reopening 2026 after 12-year closure Turkey officially reopened its border crossing with Syria at Akçakale on Tuesday, ending a 12-year closure imposed during the height of the Syrian civil war.
Background of the Closure
The Akçakale border crossing was closed in 2014 due to security concerns stemming from the ongoing conflict in Syria. The Turkish government cited the need to protect its citizens as the primary reason for the closure. "Aus Rücksicht auf die Sicherheit ihrer Bürgerinnen und Bürger" habe die Türkei die Grenze geschlossen gehalten, nun seien "die notwendigen Sicherheitsbedingungen geschaffen worden", said Abdülhakim Ayhan during the reopening ceremony.
Relations between Turkey and Syria had been severely strained since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Ankara severed diplomatic ties with Damascus in 2012 and only reopened its embassy after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024.