Türkiye, Iran plan new border crossing
VAN
Technical delegations from Türkiye and Iran have begun discussions on the opening of a fourth border crossing, Koozeh Rash–Gelincik, between the two countries.
The delegations conducted site inspections and field assessments in Van province in eastern Türkiye, with Iran’s Ambassador to Ankara, Mohammad Hasan Habibullahzade, and Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party lawmaker Kayhan Türkmenoğlu also in attendance.
The ambassador stated that a meeting was held with the participation of the relevant authorities from both countries regarding the Koozeh Rash–Gelincik border crossing.
He noted that the meeting involved mutual consultations on the location of the crossing and the status of customs facilities.
The new border crossing will serve between Salmas district in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province and Başkale district in Türkiye’s Van province.
This will become the fourth crossing after Ağrı’s Gürbulak, Van’s Kapıköy and Hakkari’s Esendere.
Türkiye has long been a popular destination for Iranian tourists. In 2024, the number of Iranian visitors to Türkiye rose by 30.9 percent compared to the previous year, surpassing 3.2 million.
Border provinces remain among the most favored destinations for these tourists. In the first quarter of 2025, Van hosted 157,000 Iranian visitors, generating approximately $80 million in revenue for the local economy.
Sharing a 560-kilometer land border with Iran, Türkiye has completed 204 kilometers of a security wall along the Iranian border in Van to prevent illegal crossings, with construction ongoing on an additional 91 kilometers.
Van, which shares the longest border with Iran, began building the wall in 2021 to curb terrorism and smuggling activities and to control unauthorized crossings. Motion-activated camera traps, capable of real-time alerts and video transmission, were also employed along the barrier.
