Turkey starts building border wall with Iran

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ANKARA: Turkish government has launched the construction of a security wall on its border with Iran, Hurriyet Daily News reported Wednesday.

The construction has begun in the eastern province of Agri, Hurriyet cited regional officials as saying.

Pictures showing huge concrete blocks being moved into place were published on the governor’s website of Agri.

The construction, under a protocol between Defense Ministry and the Housing Development Administration of Turkey, is expected to complete its first stage in October.

In May, media reported that Ankara planned to build a 144-kilometer-long border wall with Iran as part of its security measures to stem the cross- border movement of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.

Currently, Turkey is also at the final stage of reinforcing its border with Syria by building a wall stretching 828 kilometers.