ISTANBUL — Syrians who fled to Turkey to escape civil war hope to return home, but many say they will wait until the situation becomes more stable and secure. In the meantime, they continue to celebrate the recent rapid fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

“Immense joy and disbelief,” said Ghaith Hammour, a Syrian novelist in Istanbul, describing his reaction to the toppling of Assad's government on Dec. 8, after a grueling civil war. 

“How could someone who ruled with iron and fire for 14 years collapse in just 10 days?,” he said to Al-Monitor. “The idea of 'Assad forever' that was planted in everyone’s minds suddenly shattered, as if it were just an illusion.”

Led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and including armed Syrian opposition groups backed by Turkey, the lightning rebel offensive and the capture of Damascus stunned the world. For the millions of Syrian refugees in Turkey, the overthrow of the government — bringing an end to 53 years of Assad family rule — was the historical moment of their lives, one they had looked forward to for years.