Turkey builds 295km-long wall along Iranian border ‘to stop influx of refugees from Afghanistan’

Turkey in an attempt to restrict the illegal entries of migrants, especially from Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul is building a 295 km wall on its Iranian border. 

The defense minister of Turkey informed that the construction of the modular wall is nearly completed, informing that security on the bordering regions has been intensified through the use of technological means.

“We are building a modular wall. A big part of it has been completed. Nearly 150 kilometers of trenches were dug. Additional reinforcements were made to our border outposts and base areas,” informed Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Sunday. 

Talking about the heightened security deployed to stop the influx from Afghanistan, Akar said, “We operate with around a thousand reconnaissance surveillance vehicles, including thermal night vision devices. Thanks to the electro-optical towers and acoustic sensors, it has become very easy to detect the mobility on the borderline.”

“Our border is our honor,” asserted Akar claiming that all the civilians and military personnel are just doing their jobs.

Not just this, the country says it will intensify its work to “reinforce the understanding that the borders are impassable.”

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday remarked, “Turkey is facing a growing migratory wave of Afghans transiting through Iran.” 

“With this wall, we will totally stop the arrivals,” he exclaimed when pressured by the opposition on the issue of the growing influx of illegal immigrants. 

Reports suggest that up to 1,000 Afghans are entering Turkey illegally through the eastern borders every day to escape Afghanistan which has been overtaken by the Taliban regime. 

Turkey is currently home to some 4 million refugees, including Syrians and 200,000 to 600,000 Afghans.