Turkey builds 89 new military outposts on Syria, Iraq border

Turkey has built 89 new military outposts on its Syria and Iraq borders as part of efforts to strengthen the country's border security.

According to security sources, Turkey already completed the construction of a 287-kilometer (178-mile) concrete wall along the border with Syria. The wall will maintain security across the Turkish border. Construction efforts of the remaining 538 kilometers of the concrete wall are ongoing.

Turkey shares a 900-kilometer border with Syria, which has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011, and so far 66 new military outposts on the Turkey-Syria border have been constructed.

As part of continuing border-security efforts, nine new military outposts will be built in the border province of Hatay in 2017, and 157 new military posts and fortresses will be built on the Syrian border. In addition to increased efforts to strengthen border security on the country's Syria border, Turkey is also taking measures on its Iraq borders. Accordingly, 14 new military outposts will be built in the border province of Hakkari to prevent PKK terrorists from infiltrating Turkey's borders.

Construction on a border wall to combat smuggling and illegal migration started in 2014, even as Turkey maintained an open-border policy, that has seen nearly 3 million Syrians seek refuge in the country.