Reports: Turkey Also Building Fence on Border With Greece

Turkey is reportedly taking a “page out of Greece’s book” in announcing that it will erect a reinforced fence along a portion of the land border separating the two countries in the Thrace province, ostensibly to block illegal migration and smuggling.

Edirne Governor Yunus Sezer this week announced that construction works are proceeding, with the assistance of the country’s interior and defense ministries.

Sezer mentioned that the 8.5-kilometer barrier was the first of its kind in western Turkey, as the country has erected lengthy natural walls along its eastern borders.

“Last September we had completed improvements and construction of 325 kilometers of road on the border line. This year, we are continuing work for the construction of electronic surveillance towers and other measures, with the support of both the ministry of interior defense,” Sezer was quoted as saying, while adding that such barriers will be possibly extended in the future.

The Turkish official made the statements to reporters during a meeting at the Edirne – ancient Adrianople – prefectural seat on the issues of security and public order.

The current Greek government has already announced plans to extend a reinforced border fence to up to 100 kilometers on the frontier with Turkey. Although most of the land border separating the two countries is delimitated by the Evros (Maritsa) River, a “bulge” of Turkish territory extends west of the river, and specifically on the west bank across from Edirne. The specific frontier is a result of the 1923 Lausanne Treaty.

A border crisis in last February and early March 2020 erupted when the Turkish government announced that it was unilaterally opening its border with Greece to allow third country nationals in Turkey to pass unhindered into Greek territory, ostensibly in a bid to reach other preferred destinations in the European Union. The Erdogan government at the time was enraged after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in the northwest Syrian province of Idlib – the remaining bastion of armed Syrian opposition.