Iran welcomes Turkish border wall plans

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — An Iranian foreign ministry official said Tuesday that Tehran was “informed” of Turkish plans to build a border wall between the two countries and welcomed the decision which he said would curtail illegal border trade worth an estimated $2 billion, according to the Iranian state news agency. 

“Turkey is taking new measures to ensure security at mutual borders according to agreements,” which do not conflict with Iranian interests, the unnamed Iranian official was quoted as saying by IRNA.  

The official also said, “any border measures from them (Turkey) must be taken with Tehran’s prior knowledge.”

Turkish media reported Monday about Ankara’s plans to construct a 70-kilometer long border wall between Iran and Turkey to “counter terrorist” activities and limiting Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) movements across the 500-kilometer long borders. 

Turkey’s daily Hurriyet quoted a senior Turkish official stating that around 1,000 PKK guerrillas are currently based in remote northwestern regions of Iran, many of them near the border town of Maku. The Turkish official has also said Turkey plans to tighten the border security in addition to building the wall, using barbed wires, surveillance towers and projectors which would further downsize cross border movements.  

Iran has in the past said that the illegal importation of cloths and fabrics from Turkey have harmed the domestic industries and it has called on Ankara to prevent the cross-border transport of goods. 

The bulk of PKK guerrilla forces, around 5,000, are based in the areas close to Qandil Mountain north of the Kurdistan Region. Turkey has frequently bombed the area over the past decades and called on Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to expel the group.