Turkey is tightening border security in the east in case of a wave of people fleeing turmoil in Iran.
“Although there is currently no mass migration detected towards our borders, additional measures have been prepared along the border, and these measures will be implemented if necessary,” the Defense Ministry said on Jan 15.
The deadly crackdown on protests in Iran and increased pressure from the U.S. on the Tehran government are raising concern for instability in Turkey's eastern neighbour with a population of more than 90 million.
Turkey has already installed more than 200 surveillance towers along the 560-kilometer Iranian border, as well as 380 km of modular concrete walls and 553 km of trenches. Security forces conduct surveillance flights in the region 24/7 using drones.
Officials say 114 people attempting to cross the borders of Turkey illegally were caught in the past week, and 699 people were prevented from crossing the borders. Since the beginning of the year, the number of people caught has reached 222, while the number of people prevented from crossing the border is 1,552.
