Expats flock to Turkish borders as summer holiday season peaks

EDİRNE

Turkish expatriates living in Europe have begun arriving in Türkiye to spend their annual summer holidays, with many entering the country through the northwestern border province of Edirne.

At Kapıkule and other land border gates in the province, expats complete entry procedures and set off toward their hometowns across the country.

Their arrivals mark the beginning of a long-anticipated return to family, familiar places and holiday traditions.

Sinan Aksoy, who traveled from Hannover, Germany, said he was thrilled to finally be in Türkiye after a long road trip.

“We’ve waited a whole year to return to our homeland. The weather is beautiful, the people are kind, it feels great to be back,” he said.

Özkan Aktacı, who arrived from Frankfurt, echoed similar sentiments.

“We’ve been doing this for years. This summer, we’ll be visiting family in Tekirdağ and Eskişehir,” he stated.

For Zabit Kaygusuz, who also made the trip from Germany, the sight of the Turkish flag was enough to erase all signs of travel fatigue.

“You can’t help but get emotional,” he said, adding that he plans to make the most of every day of his stay in Türkiye.

According to official data, around 6 million of the 7.5 million Turkish citizens living abroad reside in Western Europe.

Every summer, most of them return to Türkiye to spend time with loved ones and vacation across the country.

Last year, the movement of expatriates through Edirne border gates increased significantly. Between June 22 and Aug. 31, over 4 million expats entered and exited Türkiye through the province’s checkpoints alone.