Ahmed al-Sheikh's excitement at returning to his homeland from neighbouring Turkey after the fall of Bashar al-Assad has turned to bitter disappointment at the grim living conditions in Syria after some 13 years of war.
Sheikh is one of 35,000 Syrians who left Turkey for Syria full of hope in the first three weeks after Assad was toppled on Dec. 8, giving up the right to come back to Turkey after signing a voluntary return document.

Turkey's refugee association says many, like him, are now disillusioned by the reality of life in a war-ravaged country.
"I was shocked by the catastrophic situation, which was beyond my expectations," said Sheikh, 35, speaking in his home after returning to Aleppo, eight years after he fled to Turkey. He said that water and electricity are frequently cut off and internet communication is almost non-existent.