Turkey investigates use of stolen vehicles in Syria

ISTANBUL

Interior Minister Muammer Güler said ‘the chaotic situation’ in Syria can cause all kinds of problems in the border. DHA photo

Turkish authorities have been investigating claims that stolen vehicles with fake license plates might be used for illegal activities in neighboring Syria, Interior Minister Muammer Güler said on Nov.15.

Constant surveillance and measures have been in force regarding the possibility of illegally transporting explosives through the border between Turkey and Syria, Güler said in response to questions from reporters.

Güler noted using stolen vehicles for such purposes is a known tactic.

“The chaotic situation in Syria can cause all kinds of problems there (around the borders). That was one of the reasons we tightened physical security measures at our border and brought illegal crossings and smuggling under control,” Güler said.

His remarks followed a news report published on Nov. 15 in the Turkish daily newspaper Milliyet, which said some small trucks and vehicles recently stolen in Istanbul disappeared in the border town Hatay without a trace having last been seen with fake license plates.

Turkish border patrol units seized approximately one ton of sulfur in addition to eight sealed barrels from a convoy trying to illegally enter the country from Syria on Nov. 2, the General Staff announced.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) recently raised questions over the seizure of the chemical material. “One person has been arrested. Barrels which are suspected to contain chemical material were inside the vehicles. The route was from Turkey to Syria. Do not be surprised if a statement from the government comes, suggesting the arrested person is a Syrian spy,” CHP Deputy Chair Faruk Loğoğlu said Nov. 4.