Tehran welcomes Turkey’s planned border 'security wall’

By Murat Karadag

ISTANBUL (AA) - A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday welcomed Turkish plans to build a “security wall” along the Turkish-Iranian border.

“We welcome any initiative aimed at making the border between the two countries safer,” ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said at a press conference in Tehran.

He added that the Turkish authorities had already informed him about the issue, going on to stress that the planned wall would be erected on the Turkish side of the border.

“Border security is an important issue for both us and the Turks,” Ghasemi asserted.

Last week, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said construction of the planned border wall was not aimed at Iran but rather was intended to improve regional security.

Ergun Turan, head of Turkish state-owned housing agency TOKI, has said that tenders for construction of the 144-kilometer wall had been completed, adding that the project’s first phase would begin in October.