Suleyman Soylu told reporters in the border province of Hatay on Friday that 17,231 Syrians had voluntarily returned to their country from Turkey after two strong earthquakes hit Elazig in January 2020.
Turkey had been providing assistance to the Syrian refugees who decided to return home, citing Soylu, TRT world reported.
"We are helping them return to their homes with their own will. They are our guests," Soylu said.
The minister also stated that there are currently 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, the highest number in the world, and 1.7 million of them are receiving cash assistance.
Turkey has been hosting Syrian refugees since the start of the foreign-backed war in Syria in 2011, and the country is now home to the largest Syrian refugee population in the world.
The Turkish government has been trying to encourage voluntary returns of Syrian refugees in recent years, and has signed several agreements with the Syrian government to facilitate their return.