Syrians run as they pass into Turkey from over the border with Syria from the wire fences illegally near Turkish border village of Besaslan, Hatay province, September 11, 2013. Photo by Reuters
Turkey is building a two-meter high wall along part of its border with Syria near an area of frequent fighting to try to stop people from illegally bypassing its checkpoints and prevent smuggling, officials said on Monday.
Construction workers with excavators began digging foundations in Nusaybin, a border district 10 km (6 miles) north of the Syrian town of Qamishli, where Kurds, rebel units and Arab tribes have regularly clashed.
"We haven't had border security problems in Nusaybin so far but in that area it's extremely easy for people to cross illegally. It's almost like there is no border," said a government official in Ankara, asking not to be named.
