Sputnik - Turkish authorities have begun the construction of a huge wall along the border with Iran, claiming that this fortification is needed to protect the country against the Kurdistan Workers' Party.




The wall will be comprised of�7-ton concrete blocks, each of�them 3 meters high and 2 meters thick. According to�Turkey�s Hurriyet newspaper, the Turkish government is building this wall along�the Iranian border in�order to�curtail the activities of�the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) � the left-wing Kurdish organization which is recognized as�a terrorist organization by�Ankara.

However, Iranian political analyst and Middle Eastern affairs expert Seyyed Hadi Afghahi told�Sputnik Persian�that Turkey�s endeavor is counterproductive in�terms of�security, as�there has never been a security threat arising from�its border with�Iran and the past, and there still isn�t to�this day.
"And if Turkey is so concerned about�its security, why did it target Iran instead of�building a wall along�the border of�Syria � the main traffic terminal for�real terrorists. Logic dictates that terrorists are moving across�the Turkish-Syrian border, not the border between�Turkey and Iran. Today terrorists flee from�Syria to�Turkey to�recuperate so as�to rejoin fighting later on�or to�relocate to�other countries," Afghani said.


He pointed out�that terrorist attacks in�Turkey were perpetrated by�Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) militants who infiltrated the country via�the Syrian border, and that the PKK does not operate on�Iranian soil.

Furthermore, he noted, Turkish armed forces moved deep into�Syrian territory, effectively "invading another country", but�at the same time Ankara claims that it needs to�build a wall to�protect itself against�some kind of�Iranian "aggression."
"This is a politically motivated double-standards approach which is counterproductive in�terms of�security," Afghani surmised.


Meanwhile, Dr. Ardeshir Pashang, expert on�Kurdish affairs in�the Middle East, remarked that the PKK does not operate in�Iran, and that this organization was created in�Turkey as�a response to�Ankara�s Kurdish policies which triggered mass protests and led to�a military confrontation that continues for�four decades.
"Until this Turkish domestic conflict gets resolved via�peaceful means, building walls of�any kind, including the one along�the Iranian border, won�t help improve security in�Turkey," Pashang explained


He noted that the lack of�dialogue between�Ankara and the Kurdish opposition in�Turkey further exacerbates the problem, and that building some sort of�border fortification would hardly improve the current state of�affairs.
"In this situation, building walls is simply inappropriate. It is just another way for�construction companies to�stuff their pockets: according to�several Turkish media outlets, these companies have direct ties to�the upper echelons of�Turkish government," he added.