TEHRAN, — According to Firat New Agency the Islamic republic of Iran is building a 4-kilometer fence-wall with the aim of creating a security corridor on the borders of Federal Kurdistan region. It is reported that Tehran’s government will also build security walls on the Afghanistan and Pakistan borders.
21 years have passed since the ‘Berliner Mauer’ (Berlin Wall) has been demolished. Israel whom Iran describes as the archenemy is also criticized for its West Bank barrier, at most by the Islamic Republic. However, Iran is now building security walls all around the country.
After Iranian minister of interior Mahmod Najar declared last November that it will build a security wall on the borders with Kurdistan Federal Region, Afghanistan and Pakistan it is reported that constructions with 150 million USD budget is speeding up.
South Kurdistan’s deputy interior minister Faiq Tawfiq said to a German news agency that the wall will bring nothing but more suffering to the Kurds. He further stated that the wall will affect diplomatic relations between the regional government and the Islamic Republic.
Regional Government is not against the wall
In relation to the wall the Iraqi Kurdish officials have stated that it is an ‘internal affair’ of Iran. Peshmerga Spokesperson Cebbar Yawer has also said: “If the wall is built is spite of everything, it will be useful for the regional Kurdish government. It is an internal affair of Iran. Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) is not only active on the border but deep inside Iran. Therefore, the wall will be useless against the Kurdish rebels.”
PJAK: The wall cannot stop us
A high rank PJAK commander Sherzad Kamanger based in Qendil Mountains said to Sharq- al Awsat newspaper that as their guerrillas are already based deep inside Iran (Daliho, Mukriyan and Salmas regions) the wall will not affect them. The PJAK’s spokesperson also stated that the reason why they are in Qendil is merely political and added: “The wall will fail to stop us. We will continue our struggle. We are not conducting only an armed struggle. Our struggle has also cultural and organising activities which will not be affected by the wall.”