Turkey to Build Iran Border Wall to Stem Terrorism, Smuggling

Turkey is building a wall along its border with Iran. The aim of the barrier, similar to one built at the border with Syria, is to stem smuggling and terrorism.

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According to Turkey, PKK – a Kurdish group involved in conflict with the government – has bases and camps on the Iranian side of the border. Turkey is also a trafficking point for illegal drugs and other contraband being transported between Iran and Europe.

On Tuesday, Suleyman Elban – governor of Agri province – along with a local police chief and gendarmerie commander visited the wall prior to meeting with the border guards, the Dogan news agency reported.

The structure, which is being made out of portable blocks, spans two meters wide and three meters high.

The wall at the Syrian border is 700km long – almost covering the full 828km – and is outfitted with an “integrated security” system comprising of sophisticated lighting, sensors and surveillance cameras.

Turkey is also concerned about Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq involved in the fight against Islamic State, while Iran is anxious about the Turkish military's activity there.

Relations between the two countries have soured since the onset of the Arab Spring in 2011 and the Syrian civil war, in which Tehran supports Syrian President Bashar Assad.

But, in more recent months, they have both found themselves on the same side in the Gulf diplomatic crisis – denouncing the sanctions and blacklisting of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its allies.

In May, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said his country welcomed any steps towards increasing border security.

“We welcome all kinds of actions that will increase security and stability at the border. We are in favor of deeper bilateral dialogue to increase coordination in this regard,” the Milliyet newspaper quoted Qassemi as saying. “Border security is important for both Iran and Turkey, and the necessary efforts should be made by both countries."

The Public Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) is responsible for the project. And, unlike U.S. President Donald Trump's stalled Mexican border wall, the Turkish-Iranian wall has met little to no opposition.