Turkey To Shop for Border Security Equipment

ANKARA — Feeling increasingly threatened by hostile militants of radical Islamists and Kurds across its border with Syria, Turkey is moving ahead to build a comprehensive border security system along its the country’s 900-kilometer border with war-torn Syria. 
 
That border has been the main crossing point for jihadists traveling to Syria from across the world. On July 20, a suicide bomber belonging to the Islamic State group of Iraq and Syria (ISIL) Islamic State, or IS) killed 33 pro-Kurdish activists in a small Turkish town on the Syrian border. Also in July, the Islamic State (IS), firing from Syria, killed aone Turkish officer. And on Sept. 1, another IS firing killed a Turkish soldier in Kilis, southeastern Turkey.
 
"Border security primarily against IS infiltration has become a vital issue especially after we joined the coalition campaign against the [IS] terrorists," onea senior military officer said. 
 
Late in August, Turkey formally joined the allied fighting against IS, using its own fighter aircraft to bomb IS strongholds in Syria. 
 
"That has exposed Turkey to the risk of IS terrorist attacks inside Turkey," said one security analyst said. "Border security has now become essential to counter such a threat. IS, in case it decides to hit Turkey, must coordinate any attack between its cells inside Turkey and militants in Syria. Such potential coordination must be cut off before established."
 
Border security is not only a Turkish issue. US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Aug. 20 that Turkey must "do more" to help in the fight against the IS. Carter welcomed Turkey’s decision to join the allied campaign against IS but specifically called out the need for Turkey to secure its border with Syria in order to stop the trafficking of logistical supplies and terrorists.
 
Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek has said that an initial 203 million liras (US $68.7 million) would be immediately appropriated to augment the plan. That will be used mainly to build concrete walls along designated zones on the border, as well as and install barbed wire. But the Turkish shopping list is broader than that.
 
"We may have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this in the next few years," a procurement official familiar with the plan said. … "There will be several different components that will eventually be integrated." said one procurement official familiar with the plan.
 
He said the shopping list would include "any equipment or system the sSpecial fForces would be in need of for this asymmetrical warfare." 
 
In addition, systems that would locate and track terrorists and their border crossings would be prioritized.
 
Other potential acquisitions would include mine detection systems, anti-IED equipment, surveillance aircraft, cameras, sensors and drones.
 
As part of the plan, Turkey plans to arm its first indigenous drone, the Anka, with a homemade laser-guided missile with a six-kilometer range, the Bozok. The Anka, a medium-altitude long-endurance platform, has been was developed and built by Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries. 
 
The Bozok has been was developed by state scientific research institute TUBITAK’s defense industry research and development unit, SAGE.