Turkey's border security problem
Political factors are not the only cause of Turkey’s border security vulnerability.
Recently, there has been a marked increase in news and commentary about Turkey’s security shortcomings along its borders with Iraq and Syria. These reports note that in the Syrian case, anyone can freely cross the border with vehicles and goods.
Some commentators say this laxity, especially on the Syrian border, is a result of an intentional policy decision by the Justice and Development (AKP) government to support the Syrian opposition — that it is purely politically motivated. Such privileges allow Islamic State (IS) fighters and the Syrian opposition to freely cross back and forth between Syria and Turkey to procure their logistical needs.
