How Close is Turkey to Syria? Examining the Proximity and Complex History Along Their Shared Border

Turkey and Syria share a long land border that has witnessed tremendous upheaval and change over the last century. Examining the geography and history of this boundary reveals the close proximity yet deeply complex relationship between the two nations.

Key Facts About the Turkey-Syria Border

• Length of border: 911 km (566 miles)

• Runs from Mediterranean Sea in Hatay province west to tripoint with Iraq in the east

• Mostly follows path of Baghdad Railway and the 37th parallel north

• Primary border crossings: Bab al-Hawa, Öncüpınar, Karkamış, Akçakale, Nusaybin

• Main rivers crossed: Euphrates, Tigris

• Border delineated in treaties from 1920-1930

• Hatay province previously part of French-mandated Syria

• Heavily militarized and closed crossings since Syrian Civil War began

Examining the Proximity Between Turkey and Syria

Turkey and Syria share a long contiguous land border that places major cities in close proximity across the frontier:

• Aleppo to Gaziantep: 100 km
• Idlib to Hatay: 60 km
• Latakia to Hatay: 90 km
• Al-Hasakah to Şanlıurfa: 60 km
• Raqqa to Akçakale: 100 km

Several critical border towns and crossings also highlight the tight geography binding Turkey and Syria:

• Bab al-Hawa crossing (Reyhanlı-Idlib)
• Jarabulus/Karkamış crossing (Gaziantep-Aleppo)
• Akçakale/Tall Abyad crossing (Şanlıurfa-Raqqa)
• Nusaybin crossing (Mardin-Al-Hasakah)
• Ras al-Ayn crossing (Şanlıurfa-Al-Hasakah)

This proximity has facilitated major trade, transport and economic ties throughout history, but also vulnerability to conflict spillover.

Early 20th Century Border Delimitation

The alignment of the Turkish-Syrian border was defined through a series of treaties following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire:

• 1920 Treaty of Sevres – gave large portions of southern Turkey to France/Syria
• 1921 Treaty of Ankara – new border more favorable to Turkey
• 1923 Treaty of Lausanne – current boundary formalized

The border underwent further demarcation in the 1920s-1930s, with the new Turkish Republic relinquishing claims to Arab lands southward.

The status of the Hatay/Alexandretta province shifted between Turkey and Syria over this period, finally becoming part of Turkey in 1939.

Complexities of the Border Since Syrian Independence

• Syria gained independence from France in 1944
• Border became an international frontier between two sovereign states
• Syria protested Hatay province annexation as illegal
• Tensions erupted at times, including military buildups in late 1990s
• Close economic and political links in periods of normalized relations
• Intense diplomacy over water rights to the Euphrates River
• Trade and transport ties, especially between Aleppo and Gaziantep

The border grew heavily militarized after the Syrian Civil War began in 2011, with much of it now closed. Over 3 million Syrian refugees have crossed into Turkey. Recent deadly earthquakes have prompted temporary border openings for aid.

The Turkish-Syrian border weaves an intricate geography binding together two powers whose relations have known cooperation and conflict. Examining the proximity, history and complexities along the frontier provides insight into this critical tie between Ankara and Damascus with profound regional implications. The two countries remain deeply linked through both the bonds and divisions defined by their shared border.