The Ministry of National Defense announced Thursday that Private Yusuf Sait Ünlü is believed to have been killed by gunfire from the Iranian side of the Turkish-Iranian border on Oct. 31 and that Turkish officials were in contact with Iranian authorities over the incident.

The ministry's statement, issued following a weekly briefing, confirmed earlier reports about the circumstances surrounding the killing of the young soldier, who was deployed at a military outpost along the border. The ministry said Ünlü and other soldiers were attempting to prevent "illegal crossings" along the border when the incident occurred.

The nature of the attempted crossing was not clarified, as the term could refer to both irregular migrants from Asian countries such as Afghanistan, who often use the Iranian route to enter Türkiye, and terrorists attempting to infiltrate the country. The terrorist group PKK, which agreed last year to dissolve itself as part of the terror-free Türkiye initiative endorsed by Parliament, also has a branch in Iran, PJAK, which has so far not announced that it will join the dissolution process.

The ministry said administrative and criminal investigations were launched immediately after Ünlü's death and that Turkish officials contacted their Iranian counterparts. It noted that officials from both sides met at the scene on Nov. 3. Iranian authorities also launched an investigation into the incident, and the two sides were coordinating to "shed light on all aspects of the incident," the ministry said.

The U.S.-Israel-Iran war has already put Türkiye on alert, particularly after several missiles fired toward Turkish territory were intercepted by NATO air defense systems deployed in the country. The incidents have been isolated, however, unlike the barrage of missiles targeting Gulf countries. Türkiye and Iran maintain good relations, and Ankara at one point sought to mediate the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which is still ongoing, with occasional bursts of missile launches.

Türkiye's eastern border has already been reinforced to prevent illegal crossings. In Van, the eastern province where Türkiye shares its longest stretch of border with Iran, security measures are particularly stringent against irregular migration, smuggling and terrorist infiltration.

A concrete wall stretching approximately 380 kilometers (236 miles) has been constructed along the border. Türkiye has also dug ditches extending for 553 kilometers to deter migrants from crossing. Elsewhere, watchtowers equipped with thermal cameras and other high-tech surveillance equipment monitor the border.

Troops known as "Border Eagles," gendarmerie units and volunteer security guards are active along the border, while police squads regularly patrol cities near the frontier to prevent irregular migration.

Authorities use a range of technologies for effective monitoring, from motion sensors to drones.

The statement also addressed security along the Turkish-Iraqi border, with the ministry welcoming Iraq's decision to strengthen security measures there.

Haidar al-Karkhi, a general in charge of the Iraqi army's Border Guards Command, recently told the media outlet Rudaw that border guards had deployed additional troops to improve security along the country's borders with Türkiye, Syria and Iran.

Al-Karkhi said new outposts had been established on steep mountains along the Iraqi-Turkish border and that Iraqi forces were in close contact with the Peshmerga, the security forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which controls areas along the border.

The Iraqi official said strategic control points along the border had been reinforced and that military personnel were now present throughout the area, including in previously inaccessible locations. He added that state authority had been fully established along the border to eliminate the activities of illegal armed groups and smuggling networks.

He also noted that joint coordination centers established with Türkiye, along with security memorandums, had helped strengthen the countries' ability to respond to any border-related crises.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said Türkiye would continue to provide "all support to neighboring Iraq" to ensure effective border security and eliminate terrorism in the region, with the ultimate goal of restoring peace, prosperity and stability.