Advice for those who may be travelling to Turkey over the next few weeks

The Foreign Office are advising Britons who are currently in Turkey to stay indoors after an attempted military coup last night, Friday 15th July.

Many UK citizens have holidays books in Turkey over the next few weeks,with flights were being diverted or cancelled, airport operations do appear to be getting back to normal as of Saturday morning.

British Airways said it has cancelled all flights to and from the country following a night of gunfire and explosions in capital Ankara and Istanbul.

If you are due to travel to or from Turkey over the next few days, the Foreign Office say you should closely monitor their travel advice [Here] also check with your airline or tour operator before travelling.

Those due to travel in the next few days are being told to check with their airline or tour operator.

There has been large-scale military action in Turkey, with the military deployed to the streets and widespread reports of gunfire and explosions in Ankara and Istanbul.

The situation appears quieter in Istanbul, and the bridges across the Bosphorus are re-opening, there are reports of tank fire and small arms fire in Ankara.

Marmaris is a major Turkish holiday resort visited by hundreds of thousands of UK citizens visiting every year.

The road between the key holiday resort of  Marmaris and Icmeler remains closed, following earlier reports of gunfire between the two resorts.

There have been some reports on social media of hotels being evacuated after gunfire heard close by.

The Foreign Office are telling UK citizens in Turkey to stay indoors and avoid public places, in particular demonstrations, and remain vigilant.

Avoid areas of conflict and take sensible precautions if you are in the vicinity of any military or security forces, roadblocks are in place in some areas.

There were reports that social media websites were blocked overnight but most seem to be ‘up’ currently.

Thomson Holidays have said:

“Thomson and First Choice flights to Dalaman, Antalya and Izmir are operating as normal.

Given these exceptional circumstances, customers due to depart on 16th July 2016 and who no longer wish to travel, can cancel and receive a full refund, or amend to another holiday currently on sale subject to availability.

Normal booking conditions apply for all other travel dates to Turkey. We will continue to closely monitor the situation as it develops, together with the relevant authorities.”

Thomas Cook have advised customers to “stay in their hotels until further notice”.

A spokeswoman for the company reported via ITV News has said: “We note the reports coming out of Turkey regarding a military coup. There is no indication that guests in the coastal resorts are affected.

“However, as a precautionary measure, we advise our customers in resort to stay in their hotels until further notice.

“There has been no change to Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice regarding travel to Turkey and our flight and holiday programme is operating as normal.

“However, given the circumstances, we are offering free amendments and cancellations for all customers due to fly to Turkey on Saturday July 16 and Sunday July 17.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and will update when we have further information.

Foreign Office information on Turkey:

British nationals requiring urgent consular assistance in Turkey can contact the Foreign Office on 0207 008 0000.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to within 10 km of the border with Syria and to the city of Diyarbakir.

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to:

the remaining areas of Sirnak, Mardin, Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Kilis and Hatay provinces
Siirt, Tunceli and Hakkari
Security force operations against the PKK and related groups are ongoing in the Sur district of Diyarbakir. The FCO advise against all travel to the city of Diyarbakir. Similar operations have taken place in Sirnak and Hakkari. You should take extreme care in these areas. See Safety and security

Over 2,500,000 British nationals visit Turkey every year. It’s generally safe to travel but you should take additional safety precautions. You should be alert to your surroundings and remain vigilant in crowded places popular with tourists.

Terrorism
The threat from terrorism remains high. Terrorist groups, including Kurdish groups, Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL) and far left organisations, continue to plan and carry out attacks. Further attacks are likely. Terrorist groups, including Daesh and the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), have publicly threatened to attack tourist sites in Turkey. You should take extra care in public places – particularly those visited by foreigners. Be vigilant, follow the advice of local security authorities, monitor media reports and keep up to date with this travel advice.

On 12 January 2016 there was a suicide bomb attack against tourists in Sultanahmet in Istanbul in which 10 people died. On 19 March 2016 a similar attack against tourists on Istiklal St in Istanbul killed 4 people.

On 17 February 2016 a large bomb attack near a military barracks on Eskisehir Road in Ankara killed 28 people. On 13 March 2016, a similar attack killed over 30 people at Kizilay Square in central Ankara.

On 27 April 2016 there was a suspected suicide bomb attack at Bursa Ulu Mosque. The bomber was killed and 7 people slightly injured.

On 1 May 2016 a bomb attack at the Central Police Station in Gaziantep killed two police officers and injured 23 others.

On 7 June 2016 a bomb attack in the Vezneciler area of Istanbul killed 7 police officers and 4 civilians. 36 people were injured.

On 28 June 2016 Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul was attacked. More than 40 people were killed.

Attacks are likely to target the Turkish state, civilians and demonstrations. Nevertheless, it’s increasingly likely that some attacks will also target western interests and tourists from western countries, particularly in the major cities, as was the case in Istanbul on 12 January and 19 March 2016. To date most attacks in Turkey have taken place in the south and east of the country and in Ankara and Istanbul. There is a heightened risk of terrorist attack against the aviation industry in Turkey.

Turkish authorities have successfully disrupted attack planning in the recent past. The Turkish authorities have said that security has been tightened in response to recent attacks. Nevertheless, further attacks are likely, could be indiscriminate and may target or affect places visited by foreigners.