MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Over 1,300 people were arrested attempting to illegally cross through Turkey's border and into the country within just one day, local media reported Wednesday.
According to the Anadolu news agency, citing the General Staff of the Turkish Army, 1,237 individuals were arrested by the Turkish Border Guard at the Turkish-Syrian border Tuesday, 51 were stopped at the Turkish-Iranian border, and 13 more were detained at the Turkish-Iraqi border.
Turkey has been stepping up security on its border with Syria over the past several years by constructing walls made from concrete blocks and increasing number of military officers. Turkey is now in the final stage of reinforcing the Syrian border with a 559-mile long wall.
In early August, Turkish authorities launched the construction of wall along Turkey's border with Iran in an effort to protect the country from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed by Ankara as a terrorist organization. The conflict between Turkey and Kurdish militant groups seeking independence escalated in July 2015, and was soon followed by terrorist acts allegedly committed by PKK militants and regular anti-PKK operations by the Turkish government.
