Turkey has put contingency plans in place to manage a potential influx of migrants fleeing the conflict in neighboring Iran, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said on

Wednesday.

Speaking in Ankara, Ciftci said authorities have prepared for several scenarios should movement across the eastern frontier accelerate. Measures include managing migrant flows on the Iranian side of the border, establishing buffer zones along the frontier if crossings cannot be halted, and allowing entry into Turkey under tightly controlled conditions.

“For now, there is no unusual activity at the three border gates along the Iran–Turkey line,” Ciftci said, adding that security and migration officials remain on high alert.

Turkey has also prepared accommodation capacity for up to 90,000 people in the event of a sudden surge, he said. Preparations include tent camps and temporary housing sites that could be activated quickly if needed.

The comments come after a Reuters witness reported seeing hundreds of Iranians crossing into Turkey earlier this week, with others said to be waiting nearby. According to Ciftci, Turkish authorities have been told that Iran is restricting its own citizens from leaving the country, while allowing Turkish nationals and third-country citizens to exit.

Official data shared by the interior minister showed that between March 1 and March 3, a total of 5,010 people entered Turkey, while 5,495 people left the country.

Turkey, which already hosts millions of refugees from earlier regional conflicts, has repeatedly said it wants to prevent new, uncontrolled migration waves by prioritizing border security and regional coordination. Photo by Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey, Wikimedia commons.