UNITED KINGDOM: British Tourists Advised To Avoid Turkey Because Of Likely Terror Attacks

Tourists heading to the holiday destination over the summer have been told to brace themselves for the duel threat of mob violence and lethal terror attacks.

People are being advised to stay clear of large crowds in cities like Istanbul as the unstable country faces unscheduled presidential and parliamentary elections later this month.

The advice to those travelling has since been updated with the government telling tourists to avoid large crowds as the country deals with the political turmoil.

In a statement issued on Friday, a Government spokesperson said: Presidential and parliamentary elections will take place on June 24 2018.

This may result in rallies and demonstrations around the country; you should avoid large gatherings and follow the advice of the local authorities.

Turkey’s snap election was called by the president of 15 years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in April, amid rising opposition to his rule and concerns about the economy.

The UK Government already warns against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria and to the city of Diyarbakir, while additional security measures may apply on any flights to Turkey.

The Foreign Office says that terrorists are very likely to carry out attacks in Turkey with the majority occurring in the south and east of the country in Ankara and Istanbul.

It said: A number of terrorist groups are active.

Since 2015 there has been an increase in PKK the Kurdish separatist terrorist activity in south-east Turkey.

There have been a number of attacks by other groups including suicide attacks by Daesh formerly referred to as ISIL, attacks by the far left DHKP(C) and the Kurdish separatist group TAK, including in cities such as Ankara and Istanbul.

Terrorist groups, including Daesh and the TAK, have publicly threatened to attack tourist sites in Turkey.

Attacks could be indiscriminate and could affect places visited by foreigners.

There is a heightened risk of terrorist attack against the aviation industry in Turkey.

You should co-operate fully with security officials at airports.

Be vigilant around significant religious occasions including the holy month of Ramadan and public holidays; terrorist groups sometimes call for attacks around these times."

However, some attacks may target western interests and tourists from western countries, particularly in the major cities.

The Foreign Office said: “You should be vigilant, follow the advice of local security authorities, monitor media reports and keep up to date with this travel advice.”


Tourism Observer