With the help of Turkey's humanitarian diplomacy efforts, another 161 Iraqis who had fled to Syria to flee the conflict and civil war in their own country have finally made their way back home.

Through the collaborated humanitarian diplomacy efforts of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and IHH, Iraqi refugees were successfully brought to the buffer zone at the Akçakale Border Gate after customs processes.

The Iraqi Consulate and the Şanlıurfa Migration Management Directorate units performed the appropriate controls in accordance with the procedures used at the Tel Abyad border crossing. IHH personnel provided food and water to the Iraqis while the procedures were being conducted. Following the inspections, the refugees took buses across Turkey to travel back home.

"He wouldn’t let go of my hand even for a moment

"Mehmet Altıntaş from IHH Humanitarian Diplomacy Department said, "After our humanitarian diplomacy efforts, we are now sending 161 Iraqi citizens back to their countries. The Iraqi citizens here are all children, women and the elderly. You see next to me now, this brother's name is Said. He wouldn’t let go of my hand even for a moment. He immediately grabs the hand of the person he sees around and tries to hug them. We realized that Said longed for a father. I would like to thank all our volunteers and donors who supported these children."