Türkiye has suspended day-trip crossings at its Kapıköy border and two others with Iran as regional tensions escalate following strikes involving the United States and Israel on Tehran. AnewZ's Alisultan Sultanzade was on the ground at the crossing before the restrictions came into force.
Sultanzade said that under the current arrangements, Turkish citizens and third-country nationals are still permitted to enter Türkiye from Iran. Iranian authorities, in turn, continue to accept their own nationals returning home. Cargo transit remains operational but is proceeding under tightly controlled conditions.
Officials say all border units are operating on high alert as the security situation enters what many observers describe as a more dangerous phase.
On Sunday, some Iranian nationals had reportedly been prevented from crossing. By Monday afternoon, however, crossings were again taking place, set against the backdrop of snow-covered hills on the Iranian side of the frontier.
Despite the restrictions, hundreds of Iranians were seen crossing into Türkiye on Monday afternoon at the Kapıköy border gate, according to a Reuters witness. Those arriving spoke of growing fear in Tehran, with reports of long queues at petrol stations and mounting uncertainty as the conflict widens.
Reporting from the border area, Sultanzade said the atmosphere had changed markedly this week. “Movement has now been restricted,” he said.
“Regular crossings are no longer taking place, but cargo transit continues under tight control and security units are on high alert.”
An Iranian man said, "People are upset especially considering that the bombs are never particularly just for the military sites."
Another told Sultanzade that "Streets are destroyed. People are panicking to leave the country, they don't know what to do."
In Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered his strongest criticism yet of the U.S. and Israeli strikes, describing them as a “clear violation of international law”.
“As their neighbour and brother, we share the pain of the Iranian people,” he said during a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner, warning that failure to act diplomatically could have “serious repercussions” for regional and global security.
Türkiye, a NATO member bordering Iran, has for weeks urged Washington and Tehran to continue negotiations, cautioning that the region cannot withstand further destabilisation. While Ankara and Tehran have backed opposing sides in conflicts such as Syria, they have maintained working relations and substantial trade ties despite longstanding political differences.
President Erdoğan said Türkiye would intensify diplomatic contacts “at every level” in pursuit of a ceasefire, insisting that Ankara does not want “fighting, war, tensions, and massacres” along its borders.
“Nobody can handle the burden of the economic and geopolitical uncertainties that such a period will cause,” Erdoğan said.
“This fire needs to be extinguished before it grows any more,” he said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know....
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over a...
Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said, as Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy i...
Egypt secured their first World Cup knockout-stage victory by beating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Arlington, Texas....
Defending champions Argentina needed an extra-time own goal to beat Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday and reach the World Cup last 16, while Colombia advanced ...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 4 July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over alleged efforts to influence last month's parliamentary vote through Armenian citizens residing in Russia.
Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said, as Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure continued to add pressure to fuel supplies inside Russia.
Egypt secured their first World Cup knockout-stage victory by beating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Arlington, Texas.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Eight Buddhist monks were killed and more than 20 others injured after an 11-year-old boy driving his parents' pickup truck ploughed into a religious procession in north-eastern Thailand, police said.
Armenia's parliament has passed a new law raising the requirements for citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, following concerns over alleged efforts to influence last month's parliamentary vote through Armenian citizens residing in Russia.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Georgia’s only oil refinery will stop using Russian crude oil by September to preserve access to Western markets, its operator has said.
Iran has begun talks with Japan about selling oil to Japanese companies, according to Iranian and Western sources. The discussions come less than a month after the U.S. eased decades-old sanctions on Iranian oil as part of efforts to secure a final peace deal with Tehran.
At least 40 people were killed after a passenger bus plunged off a highway into a ravine in southwestern Pakistan, officials said on Friday (3 July).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment