Türkiye increases security measures along borders: Ministry

ANKARA

Türkiye is increasing security measures along the Syrian and Iranian borders by installing more walls and seismic and lighting devices, the Interior Ministry has informed the parliament.

The report prepared by the ministry within the scope of budget studies emphasized that around 300 million Turkish Liras of resources were allocated for implementing security projects.

“The construction of 1,077 kilometers of security walls and patrol roads on the 1,471 kilometers of Iranian and Syrian borders has been completed, increasing the length of the security wall and patrol road by 167 percent from 403 kilometers,” it added.

The construction of the security wall and patrol road on the 837-kilometer part of the 911-kilometer Syrian border was completed, the ministry also said, informing that the length of the security wall and patrol road on the Iranian border was increased from 93 kilometers to 240 kilometers in five years.

“The tender for the first phase of the project for the construction of a patrol road and high-security panel fence on the 33-kilometer embankment along the Habur and Hezil streams that form our Iraqi border, starting from the easternmost point of the Türkiye-Syria border, has been completed,” the report said.

The site has been allocated, and it is aimed to start the work before the end of this year, according to the ministry.

The report pointed out that 300 of the 341 electro-optical towers on the borders were put into operation, while the remaining part will be activated in 2023. It noted that 91 of the towers built within the scope of an EU-funded project are located on the western border and 250 on the eastern border.

It also pointed out that 139 armored surveillance vehicles were made available to the border troops and that the supply and delivery of 284 thermal cameras within the scope of the project carried out with Türkiye’s leading defense company Aselsan was completed.

Aselsan ranked 49th in Defense News Top 100 global list last year. The Turkish Armed Forces Foundation owns 74.2 percent shares of the company, while 25.8 percent is traded on Borsa Istanbul.

A total of 151 seismic sensor systems were also installed on the Iranian border in the southeastern province of Hakkari, while the installation work continues on the Iranian borders in the provinces of Ağrı and Iğdır, according to the report.

It was also noted that the length of the border lighting system reached 988 kilometers and that borders will be monitored from a single source by the National Coordination and Joint Risk Analysis Center (UKARAM).

Türkiye has become one of the key transit points for migrants looking to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

Thanks to the security measures taken at the border gates, over 248,727 illegal migrants were prevented from entering the country in 2022.

With the efforts to detect and identify illegal migrants and organizers, more than 200,000 migrants have been caught since the beginning of the year, an increase of 86 percent compared to the same period last year.