British nationals should avoid all but essential travel to five more Turkish provinces
BRITAIN’s has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to southeast Turkey’s largest cities after a surge in Syria-related violence.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office today announced it was advising against “all but essential” travel to nine Turkish provinces, more than double the previous number of cities.
It also said British nationals should not travel at all to anywhere within 10 kilometres of the country’s border with Syria, where a civil war continues to rage.
The new list of cities to avoid includes Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa, the largest cities in the region which are together home to more than 3.6 million people.
Gaziantep is a little over 60 minutes’ drive from the nearest border crossing and home to the region’s largest airport, which has often been used by people from Western countries – including the UK – wanting to join the fighting in Syria.
Mardin, an increasingly popular tourist destination, is among the listed cities
The FCO’s list include Kilis, which is barely 10 kilometres from the Syrian border; Mardin, a popular tourist destination for its distinctive old city; and Hatay, a province that includes the historical city of Antioch.
In a section on safety and security, the FCO says: “Mortar rounds reportedly fired by ISIL militants in northern Syria landed on the E90 road near Nusaybin in Mardin province, Turkey, on 15 September. There were no casualties.
“As a result of heavy fighting between ISIL and Kurdish forces in northern Syria, there has been a mass influx of refugees into Şanlıurfa province (southern Turkey) since 19 September.”
Britain previously advised its nationals against “all but essential” travel to only four Turkish provinces: Hakkari, Siirt and Şırnak, all of which border Iraq; and Tunceli, some 400 kilometres to the north. The travel advice to these provinces has not been changed.
Speaking to Londra Gazete earlier this monthi the mayor and governor of Tunceli had previously dismissed British travel advice to their province as “an exaggeration”.