Construction of wall along Iran border nearly over, says report

ANKARA

A report presented to the Turkish parliament subcommission on migration has shown that Turkey has so far constructed a 1,079-kilometer-long wall along its borders with Iran to prevent the illegal entry of migrants and that the entire construction is almost complete.

Mostly Afghans and Pakistanis travel on foot along the borders with Iran and enter Turkey.

According to daily Milliyet, on June 13, the report also highlighted the construction of 1,021 kilometers of roads for patrolling, and some 341 towers have also been completed.

Speaking at the presentation at the subcommission, Mehmet Emin Bilmez, the former governor of the eastern province of Van, which borders Iran, said, “Keeping the security precautions on a high level, we aim to show the world that Turkish borders cannot be crossed easily.”

Bilmez remarked that some three projects are still ongoing.

“The construction of a 560-kilometer modular wall and towers from [the eastern province of] Ağrı to [the southeastern province of] Hakkari is continuing,” he said. “The construction of 103 kilometers of razor wires and the digging of 182 kilometers of ditches is nearly over.”

Bilmez also said that some 34 out of the 64-kilometer-long wall along the Çaldıran borderline has been erected.