Turkey to seal eastern borders with cameras, walls

By Melike Kinaci

AFYONKARAHISAR, Turkey

Turkey's eastern and southern borders will be sealed with cameras, sensors and walls as a precaution against terror, drug trafficking and irregular migration, the interior minister said on Monday.

Suleyman Soylu's remarks came at the academic year opening ceremony of Afyon Kocatepe University in western Afyon province.

"All of our eastern and southern borders are being sealed with cameras, sensors, and walls in order to prevent terrorist infiltration, drug trafficking, and irregular migrants to Turkey," Soylu said.

Soylu said that Turkey "will be able to have the technology to monitor the Aegean Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea in 2-3 years with cameras and radar systems."

With the help of state-backed housing developer TOKI and the governorates of the border provinces, Turkey already completed the construction of a 764-kilometer (475-mile) concrete wall along its border with Syria on June 9.

Ankara had launched the construction project in 2015 to build an 826-km (513-mi) wall on the Syrian border, as part of Turkey’s measures to increase border security and combat smuggling and illegal border-crossings.

Turkey shares a 911-km (566-mi) border with Syria, which has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011.

The wall was sealed along Turkey’s border provinces of Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Kilis, Hatay, Mardin and Sirnak.

Soylu said terrorism was being supported by European countries and pointed to European equipment, drugs and guns seized during counter-terrorism operations in Turkey's southeastern regions.

"We have found drug pills produced in Europe filled in barrels which are ready for shipment and brand new European-made guns in unopened boxes in the caves which you will not be able to find or reach even if I give you money, vehicle, map and equipment to go," Soylu said.