Turkey Intensifies Security Measures at Border with Iran; 170 Kilometers of Barrier Completed

Turkish media reported on Friday that the construction of 170 kilometers of a 295-kilometer security wall at the Turkey-Iran border has been completed. Turkey aims to prevent illegal activities at its borders with Iran under the slogan "The border is sacred." According to Turkish officials, this wall, being built in the eastern province of Van, will help prevent illegal crossings, smuggling, and the infiltration of "terrorists" through watchtowers and surrounding trenches along the border with Iran. Turkish security forces state that one of the main purposes of this wall is to stop the entry of illegal migrants from Iran into Turkey, while border patrol agents can perform their duties more effectively with the help of advanced technologies and drones. The Turkish Immigration Authority announced a year ago that effective measures taken at the borders prevented the entry of 274,311 illegal migrants into Turkey in 2022. In 2021, this authority reported that the number of Iranians residing in Turkey exceeded 100,000. Iran and Turkey share over 500 kilometers of common border, most of which consists of rugged mountainous areas, with four Turkish provinces—Ağrı, Iğdır, Van, and Hakkari—bordering Iran's West Azerbaijan Province. The Bazargan, Razi, and Serow border crossings are the three legal passages connecting Iran to Turkey. Turkey has completed the construction of 20 kilometers of the border wall with Iran and has prevented the entry of 62,000 individuals through the Iranian border since the beginning of this year. A Turkish media outlet reported the commencement of the border wall construction with Iran.