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Akbar Novruz

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Türkiye is preparing a range of contingency measures along its border with Iran, including steps that could effectively amount to the creation of a buffer zone on the Iranian side, should a worst-case scenario unfold and the government in Tehran collapse, Azernews reports via Middle East Eye.

According to the report, senior officials from Türkiye’s foreign ministry briefed lawmakers in a closed-door session at parliament on Thursday, outlining Ankara’s preparations for multiple potential scenarios related to Iran’s internal situation. Two participants who attended the briefing told Middle East Eye that the discussions focused heavily on preventing a new wave of irregular migration into Türkiye.

One participant said officials explicitly referred to a “buffer zone,” describing Ankara’s intention to take all possible measures to stop mass refugee flows before they reach Turkish territory. Another participant noted that while the term itself was not formally used, officials made clear that Türkiye is prepared to go beyond standard border-control practices, emphasizing that any potential migration should be contained on the Iranian side of the border.

“Essentially, they said they believe everything possible should be done on the Iranian side to ensure that those who might come in the event of a migration remain there,” one source said.

Earlier this month, Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defence announced that security along the 560-kilometre Türkiye–Iran border had been significantly reinforced through a technologically enhanced physical barrier system. These measures include 203 electro-optical surveillance towers, 43 elevator-equipped towers, a 380-kilometre modular concrete wall, and 553 kilometres of defensive ditches. Border areas are monitored continuously using reconnaissance and surveillance systems, including drones and aircraft.

During the same parliamentary briefing, Turkish officials reportedly told lawmakers that around 4,000 people had been killed and 20,000 wounded during recent protests across Iran. The demonstrations were triggered by soaring inflation and the sharp depreciation of Iran’s currency, before rapidly spreading nationwide. While some protests involved isolated violence, multiple investigations and video evidence suggest that Iranian authorities used disproportionate force to suppress the unrest, alongside imposing internet blackouts.

The developments underscore Ankara’s growing concern that prolonged instability in Iran could have direct security and migration consequences for Türkiye, prompting preparations that extend well beyond conventional border management.