Türkiye’s Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) recorded 2,245,765 Syrians under temporary protection on 9 July 2026, according to the Asylum Information Database (AIDA) Türkiye statistics page. Fifteen provinces hold 88.5% of them, and the three largest — İstanbul, Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa — hold 40%.
Türkiye still hosts more registered Syrians than any of its neighbors. The UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response portal counts 2.20 million Syrians registered by the Government of Türkiye, against 1.57 million registered by UNHCR in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon combined.
The numbers move every week. PMM publishes its temporary protection data weekly, as it stated in June 2026 (Dünya). Every figure below carries its date and source, so you can check it. For the wider picture, see our guide to how many refugees and migrants live in Türkiye, of all nationalities.
Syrian Refugee Population by Province (9 July 2026)
İstanbul has the most registered Syrians; Kilis has the highest share of its own population.
| Rank | Province | Registered Syrians | Province population | Syrians as % of province | % of all Syrians in Türkiye |
| 1 | İstanbul | 395,709 | 16,149,762 | 2.45%* | 17.6% |
| 2 | Gaziantep | 316,044 | 2,538,459 | 12.45% | 14.1% |
| 3 | Şanlıurfa | 190,861 | 2,456,661 | 7.77% | 8.5% |
| 4 | Adana | 171,405 | 2,455,014 | 6.98% | 7.6% |
| 5 | Mersin | 141,195 | 2,097,623 | 6.73% | 6.3% |
| 6 | Hatay | 136,628 | 1,714,159 | 7.97% | 6.1% |
| 7 | Bursa | 131,192 | 3,394,203 | 3.87% | 5.8% |
| 8 | Konya | 98,705 | 2,442,114 | 4.04% | 4.4% |
| 9 | İzmir | 95,541 | 4,599,726 | 2.08% | 4.3% |
| 10 | Ankara | 67,428 | 5,977,748 | 1.13% | 3.0% |
| 11 | Kayseri | 60,060 | 1,519,051 | 3.95% | 2.7% |
| 12 | Kahramanmaraş | 54,649 | 1,200,927 | 4.55% | 2.4% |
| 13 | Kilis | 46,189 | 203,552 | 22.69% | 2.1% |
| 14 | Mardin | 43,227 | 946,803 | 4.57% | 1.9% |
| 15 | Kocaeli | 38,986 | 2,200,157 | 1.77% | 1.7% |
| Top 15 total | 1,987,819 | 88.5% | |||
| All other provinces | 257,946 | 11.5% | |||
| Türkiye total | 2,245,765 | 100% |
Source: PMM data as published by AIDA (page updated 30 July 2026). The last column and the totals are our calculation from the same figures; PMM does not publish the “all other provinces” breakdown in this table.
*AIDA lists İstanbul’s share as 2.08%, the same as İzmir’s. Dividing 395,709 by 16,149,762 gives 2.45%, so we show the recalculated value. Google’s AI Overview repeats the 2.08% figure.
What The Provincial Numbers Show
- Big cities hold the largest numbers. İstanbul alone counts 395,709 registered Syrians, 17.6% of the national total. Bursa, Konya, İzmir and Ankara are all in the top ten.
- Border provinces carry the heaviest load relative to their size. In Kilis, on the Syrian border, registered Syrians equal 22.69% of the population — about 227 per 1,000 residents. Gaziantep follows at 12.45%.
- The pattern has shifted from camps to cities. In October 2013, UNHCR’s camp map showed about 200,000 Syrians in camps across ten border provinces, led by Şanlıurfa (66,130), Gaziantep (33,557) and Kilis (30,235). By 2018, PBS FRONTLINE reported that most Syrians in Türkiye had settled in cities such as İstanbul, where they could find work.
- Nearly half are children. In PMM’s 31 December 2025 breakdown cited by AIDA, 47.6% of temporary protection beneficiaries were under 18 (ages 0–4 and 5–17 combined). That is why access to school sits at the center of our work; read more on why education matters for displaced women and girls.
How The Numbers Have Changed
The registered Syrian population in Türkiye has fallen by roughly 1.5 million since 2022, from 3.74 million to 2.25 million. Returns sped up after the political transition in Syria on 8 December 2024: about half of all returns PMM has counted since 2016 happened after that date.
| Date | Registered Syrians in Türkiye | Source |
| 9 July 2026 | 2,245,765 | PMM, via AIDA |
| 27 June 2026 | 2,255,031 | PMM statement, via Dünya |
| 4 May 2026 | 2,280,542 | PMM data in an Interior Ministry statement, via Enab Baladi |
| 31 December 2025 | 2,347,756 | IOM annual report, via AIDA |
| 22 November 2024 | 2,935,742 | PMM statement, via Habertürk |
| 2022 (published 1 Aug 2022) | 3,737,369 | UNHCR data, via Arab Center Washington DC |
| 2018 | more than 3.6 million | UNHCR, via PBS FRONTLINE |
The 2018 and 2022 figures are UNHCR counts; the 2025–2026 figures come from PMM. Both rest on government registration, but treat the long-run comparison as approximate.
Returns to Syria
- Türkiye’s count: PMM said on 27 June 2026 that 1,440,123 Syrians had returned voluntarily since 2016, including 700,120 since 8 December 2024 (Dünya).
- UNHCR’s estimate: By 28 May 2026, about 1,667,078 Syrians had returned to Syria from all countries since 8 December 2024; 649,335 of them left from Türkiye (UNHCR returns overview, via ecoi.net). UNHCR’s figure includes unregistered people and people in transit.
- Why the counts differ: They cover different countries and periods. In May 2026, Türkiye’s Interior Ministry said comparing a since-2016 total with a since-December-2024 total is misleading (Enab Baladi).
Syrian Refugees in İzmir
İzmir ranks ninth, with 95,541 registered Syrians on 9 July 2026 — 2.08% of the province’s 4,599,726 residents, or about 1 in 48 people (AIDA).
That count covers only people registered in İzmir. Syrians must register with the migration office of the province where they live (UNHCR Help Türkiye). People registered in another province, or not registered at all, do not appear in İzmir’s figure, and they often cannot use local public services.
These are the families Imece works with most. From our community center in Basmane and in informal settlements in Torbalı, we support displaced people that other organizations often can’t reach, whatever their nationality or legal status — Syrians, and more recently families from Afghanistan, Ukraine and Africa.
Türkiye in The Global Picture
In UNHCR data compiled by the Arab Center Washington DC in August 2022, Türkiye hosted 3,737,369 of the 6,848,865 Syrian refugees worldwide — more than half.
| Host country | Syrian refugees (UNHCR data, 2022) |
| Türkiye | 3,737,369 |
| Lebanon | 840,929 |
| Jordan | 672,952 |
| Germany | 621,740 |
| Iraq | 254,561 |
| Egypt | 136,727 |
| Sweden | 115,233 |
| Austria | 62,408 |
| France | 37,375 |
| United States | 8,799 |
| World total | 6,848,865 |
Source: Arab Center Washington DC, from UNHCR’s Refugee Data Finder. Selected countries shown.
The regional count today is far lower. UNHCR’s portal now lists 2.20 million Syrians registered by Türkiye, 1.57 million registered by UNHCR in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, and more than 31,000 in North Africa (UNHCR).
Canada’s government kept a monthly dataset on Syrian refugees it resettled, broken down by Canadian province; it covers November 2015 to March 2025 and is no longer updated (Open Government Canada). That dataset is about Canadian provinces, not Turkish ones.
About The Data
- What “registered Syrian refugee” means here. Türkiye places Syrians, and stateless people and refugees from Syria, who arrived from 28 April 2011 onward under temporary protection — a status separate from international protection (asylum). The Presidency of Migration Management runs registration (UNHCR Help Türkiye).
- Who publishes the province figures. PMM is the only source of the provincial breakdown; AIDA reproduces it and notes that PMM does not publish its decisions on international protection (AIDA).
- What the figures leave out. They count registered people by province of registration. Unregistered people, and people living away from their registered province, are not reflected where they actually live.
- Children born in Türkiye are included. PMM stated in November 2024 that children born to temporary protection beneficiaries in Türkiye are registered and counted in the total (Habertürk).
- Other nationalities are counted separately. In December 2025 Türkiye had 6,430 international protection applicants, mostly from Afghanistan (3,472), Iraq (1,463) and Iran (585) (AIDA). Our post on how many refugees there are in Türkiye covers all groups together.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Syrian Refugees Are in Türkiye in 2026?
PMM recorded 2,245,765 Syrians under temporary protection on 9 July 2026. UNHCR’s portal uses a rounded 2.20 million for the Government of Türkiye’s registrations.
Which Turkish Province Has The Most Syrian Refugees?
İstanbul, with 395,709 registered Syrians on 9 July 2026, followed by Gaziantep (316,044) and Şanlıurfa (190,861).
Where Are Syrians The Largest Share of the Population?
Kilis. Its 46,189 registered Syrians equal 22.69% of the province’s 203,552 residents.
How Many Syrian Refugees Live in İzmir?
95,541 were registered in İzmir on 9 July 2026, or 2.08% of the province’s population. People registered elsewhere or unregistered are not included.
How Many Syrians Have Returned From Türkiye?
PMM reported on 27 June 2026 that 700,120 Syrians had returned voluntarily since 8 December 2024, and 1,440,123 since 2016. UNHCR estimated 649,335 returns from Türkiye between 8 December 2024 and 28 May 2026.
Why Do Sources Give Different Numbers?
They use different dates, definitions and coverage. Government figures count registered people; UNHCR’s returns estimate also includes unregistered people and people in transit.
Behind Every Number is a Family — Here’s How You Can Help
In İzmir, Imece works alongside displaced families. Through Solar Age, refugee women — our “Solar Ladies” — learn electricity, soldering and home solar installation. Through Back to School, children in informal camps learn Turkish, literacy and maths, then get help enrolling in school. Emergency aid brings food packages, hygiene kits and winter supplies.
- Give once or monthly: Your gift becomes food, school supplies or light for a family. Donate
- Volunteer in İzmir: Teach, run children’s activities or bring your own project. Volunteer with us
- See our work: Solar Age, Back to School and emergency aid. Our projects
