Turkish gov’t to form professional armed border patrol group

ANKARA

The government is planning to form a professional armed border patrol organization that will work within the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry in 2017, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported. 

Border surveillance is currently commanded under the Interior Ministry, but 10 other ministries and central administrative bodies are involved at different stages such as customs, passport control and medical control. On other parts of the border, protection and surveillance services are provided by the Turkish Land Forces, the gendarmerie and the coast guard. 

However, a state of emergency decree law passed on July 23 tied the gendarmerie and coast guard to the Interior Ministry, removing them from under the authority of the land forces and naval forces. 

With its new border plan, Ankara aims to gather and centralize different authorities for border services under the full command of the Interior Ministry. The capacity of police, gendarmerie and coast guard personnel will also be strengthened by the ministry. 

In addition, personnel of the counter-terrorism unit of the Police General Directorate will go through special training.