High Threat

[cheffy]

We are here now, and having a ball, the govt official line is don't travel within 10 miles of the Syrian border in case of story bullets, and that is miles away, it's a huge country, it's very safe here you will have a great time.

[Phil]

Don't forget that Turkey is in an earthquake zone as well.
Probably best to avoid going inside any hotels, houses, apartments and public buildings.

[kevin3]

  They had an earthquake in Derbyshire .. Two cups and a plate were broken, a third cup received fractures.

  So to be on the safe side it's probably best to avoid the UK, just in case.

[Vickymbro]

We have just returned from Calis. Never once felt unsafe ore even slightly uncomfortable. Had a great time and planning our return in September. I feel more unsafe in my own town centre !!

[Colwyn]

In these matters I follow the advise of the UK Foreign Office - as do the travel and insurance companies. Today's advice is shown in the map below. In the red area within 10 miles of the Syrian  the advice is no travel at all. In the orange area covering nearby provinces (and Tunceli province). For all the rest of Turkey there are currently no warnings but you are advised to check nearer the date of travel. Fethiye is no where near the orange area the nearest part of which is 400 miles away in a straight line or 575 miles by road.

Check here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey




P.S. Does anyone know why Tunceli, miles away in Central Anatolia, always appears on FO warning?

[JohnF]

P.S. Does anyone know why Tunceli, miles away in Central Anatolia, always appears on FO warning?

Probably down to the fact it's got a high population of Kurds, who are almost all Alevi - Turkish moslems are in the minority.  There's been a few clashes there in recent years, but as usual this kinda stuff doesn't make for headlines.

JF

[nichola]

Here is more information on Syrian Turkey border clashes over the past couple of years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian%E2%80%93Turkish_border_clashes_(2012-2014)

We spent two weeks in and traveling all around Hatay earlier this year and we went to Reyhanli right on the Syrian border so we could eat chicken cooked in salt at a restaurant on a lake famous for this this dish.

Will be going back again this winter and fully intend to travel to many of the places on or close to the border where people are just trying to get on with their daily lives.

[Steve A]

My understanding of the Tunceli issue is that it is an area used by IS within Turkey

[Colwyn]

My understanding of the Tunceli issue is that it is an area used by IS within Turkey

I doubt IS would be very welcome in a Kurd-dominated largely Alevi province!

[JohnF]

My understanding of the Tunceli issue is that it is an area used by IS within Turkey

I doubt IS would be very welcome in a Kurd-dominated largely Alevi province!

No, its nothing to do with IS - many of the clashes between Polis and locals is to do with how Alevis and Kurds are treated in Turkey.  It's also a bit of a PKK stronghold!

JF