Military outposts on border renewed

VAN - Anatolia News Agency

Housing Administration completes 27 outposts on Iranian border. DHA photo

New military outposts were introduced yesterday along the Turkey-Iran border by the governor of the eastern province of Van.

Some 37 of 43 outposts stationed along the 285 kilometer-long border Turkey shares with Iran have been re-built by the state-run Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) since 2010.

The outposts have been built closer to the border compared to their previous locations in order to better monitor and fight against terrorist activities and smuggling, according to the report.

According to Van Governor Münir Karaloğlu, 27 outposts have so far be put to use by the Turkish Armed Forces by the 4th Border Battalion Commandership, which is located in the Başkale district of the province only 2 kilometers away from the border.

Accompanying Governor Karaoğlu on his visit was Gendarmerie Order Corps Gen. Staff Colonel Yıldırım Güvenç, while 6th Border Regiment Commander Gen. Ahmet Bircan Kırker and 4th Border Regiment Commander Gen. Lieutenant Colonel Cengiz Demir briefed the generals on the newly-built posts.

Smuggling and terrorist activities in the region have visibly decreased after the newly-built outposts came into use, Kırker said.

“The 6th Border Battalion Commandership, which is headquartered in the city center of Van, has four troops currently in control of the 285 kilometer-long section of the border. We have 43 outposts on this border. TOKİ began re-building 37 of these 43 outposts in 2010 and in this process 27 of them have been completed and delivered [to the Turkish Armed Forces]. By the end of this year the completed outposts’ number will reach 32 and the remaining five outposts will be completed in 2013,” Karaoğlu said.

In each outpost there are watchtowers capable of housing a staff of 25. Along with the renovation of the outposts, 34 new watchtowers will be added, Karaoğlu said.