Turkey reduces smuggling incidents on the Turkish-Syrian border

The Euphrates Shield Operation, conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), aims to clear Syria of terrorist groups and ensure Turkey's border security.

Investigations into the increasing bomb attacks and assassinations carried out by terrorists from Syria have extened beyond Turkey's borders.

The FSA has launched an operation aimed at the smugglers in the Syrian region.

Smugglers doing business with Daesh and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD) terrorists are being detained and questioned.

Information obtained from Turkish intelligence agencies indicates that those who could be linked to terror attacks are being questioned by the FSA. Turkish intelligence personnel occassionally attend the interrogations.

Security sources have said that the border has been completely closed off, and smugglers are being deterred by radars, cameras and lights.

Smuggling activity has been reduced significantly, and the border between Turkey and Syria can no longer be crossed easily.

“There are known names that we are questioning. Turkey has a list of names that we gather. Hopefully from now on these sorts of businesses won't function. Our efforts are to protect Turkey. The state of Syria and Iraq is out in the open. We don't want the same thing to happen to Turkey,” said a Syrian Turkmen in the region.

A concrete wall has been erected for 77 of the 105 kilometers between Azaz and Jarablus, an area which has been cleared of terrorists. The wall features razor wire and cage wire, and watch towers as it will be under 24 hour surveillance. Night lighting was also installed.

There are still 28 kilometers of construction left for the wall, which is referred to as the “Turkish berm wall”, to be completed.

The wall is expected to be completed in approximately two to three months.

Russia's naval fleet led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which has been operating in the Mediterranean off the Syrian coast, will withdraw from Syria under the terms of the ceasefire deal.

The move is a part of Russia's drawdown of its military forces in Syria, news agencies quoted the head of the Russian General Staff as saying on Friday.

"In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defense Ministry is beginning to reduce its armed forces deployment in Syria," TASS news agency quoted Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov as saying.