Reuters, Ankara :
Turkey wants to construct more walls along its border with Syria to strengthen security against Islamic State militants and crack down on illegal border crossings, senior officials told Reuters today.
Turkey shares a more than 900 km (560 mile) border with Syria, and much recent fighting has taken place on its doorstep.
Earlier today, Syrian Kurdish fighters secured the town of Kobane near the Turkish border, two days after Islamic State launched a deadly attack in the area.
Turkey has already erected more than 10 km of walls along its borders, supported by additional measures such as thermal cameras.
Now, the government wants to add to that and is considering adding portable concrete walls in some locations, two officials told Reuters. The portable walls, which are made up of concrete slabs, can be taken down and reassembled in different locations.
Ankara decided that constructing a wall along the length of the border would be too costly. The officials declined to say how long a wall the government was looking to build, or where it would put it.
Turkey wants to construct more walls along its border with Syria to strengthen security against Islamic State militants and crack down on illegal border crossings, senior officials told Reuters today.
Turkey shares a more than 900 km (560 mile) border with Syria, and much recent fighting has taken place on its doorstep.
Earlier today, Syrian Kurdish fighters secured the town of Kobane near the Turkish border, two days after Islamic State launched a deadly attack in the area.
Turkey has already erected more than 10 km of walls along its borders, supported by additional measures such as thermal cameras.
Now, the government wants to add to that and is considering adding portable concrete walls in some locations, two officials told Reuters. The portable walls, which are made up of concrete slabs, can be taken down and reassembled in different locations.
Ankara decided that constructing a wall along the length of the border would be too costly. The officials declined to say how long a wall the government was looking to build, or where it would put it.
