Foreign Office issues urgent warning to tourists traveling to Turkey: Stop now

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a stark warning to any tourists planning on visiting Turkey. The new advice encourages the suspension of “all but essential travel” to specific regions of the country, aiming to ensure British nationals are well-informed before traveling.

On Wednesday evening, a new alert was put out regarding travel plans to visit Turkey. The Foreign Office identifies three areas in particular that should be given a wide berth. These include the city of Sirnak, Hakkari Province, along with any location bordering Syria.

In these specific Turkish regions, unnecessary travel is strongly discouraged. A representative from the FCDO warned: “The FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism.”

For an in-depth overview of the potential terrorist threats within the country, refer to the GOV. UK website, reports the Liverpool Echo. It specifies: “Most terrorist attacks have occurred in southeast Turkey, Ankara, and Istanbul. You should remain aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports, and follow the advice of local authorities.”

Attacks could occur at random, even in areas frequented by tourists, such as public structures, places of prayer, airports, and large public gatherings. Several incidents have been reported throughout the country since 2022, with acts of violence in central Istanbul, Sariyer, and more recently at the Caglayan courthouse, resulting in seven fatalities.

The guidance also mentioned: “Extremist groups based in Syria, including Daesh and Al-Qaeda linked groups, have the capacity to carry out attacks in neighboring countries, including Turkey. Daesh has previously targeted border crossings and nearby locations on the Syrian side of the border.”