Turkey has not seen an increase in crossings at its border with Iran since the outbreak of the conflict there, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, adding that traffic has in fact declined.
Speaking to broadcaster NTV, Yerlikaya said restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities on their citizens travelling to Turkey had reduced crossings at border gates by nearly a quarter.
“Following restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities on the movement of their citizens into Turkey, crossings at our border gates have decreased by nearly a quarter,” he said.
At the same time, the number of Iranian nationals returning to Iran has increased compared with the same period last year, he added.
Ankara had earlier said there were no unusual migration movements at its borders following the Feb. 28 joint strikes by the United States and Israel on key Iranian facilities.
Turkey has nevertheless begun preparations for a potential influx of migrants from its eastern neighbour. Authorities have made preliminary arrangements to host up to 90,000 people in tent camps and temporary accommodation sites if a migration wave occurs.
Turkey remains one of the countries most affected by displacement from the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, and still hosts more than 2.3 million Syrians.
The country also hosts more than 74,000 Iranian nationals with residence permits and around 5,000 recognised refugees.
Separately, Yerlikaya signalled possible changes within the national police force, which has about 350,000 personnel, saying the ministry was reviewing its structure in response to technological changes and evolving crime patterns.
“Our guiding principle is stability,” he said, adding that leadership changes could occur where necessary.
Yerlikaya took office as interior minister in February, succeeding Süleyman Soylu.