Turkey is strengthening its military positions in the northern Kurdish province of Mardin on the Syrian border. The Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reported that preparations for an attack on the autonomous region of northern and eastern Syria are taking place in the districts of Nusaybin, Artuklu and Kızıltepe. Military posts are increased in the vicinity of the border crossing in Nusaybin, which has been closed for years. A police station in Kızıltepe, which is next to a border crossing that has also been closed, is to be taken out of the line of fire and rebuilt behind an inhabited settlement. The inhabitants of the settlement are worried about this and fear that they could be caught between the fronts and used as a shield in the event of military conflict.

In addition, new watchtowers are being built behind the mined border area in all three districts. The towers are built with heavy stones and equipped with cameras.

In the border settlements, a new rule has also been introduced to control the population. Anyone who wants to enter the field areas must deposit their identity papers at a military post. The identity papers are handed back on return. The rule applies to residents as well as to foreigners. This is especially problematic for those who walk past the checkpoints to their fields and have a ride for the return journey. People from the area are demanding an end to the controls and fear that they will soon not be able to cultivate their fields at all. This could set off a migration movement, driving the depopulation of the region.