Turkey travel warning?
Aug 7th, 2012, 07:53 AM
#1
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Turkey travel warning?
My husband and I are planning a trip to Turkey this November. I've recently received a travel warning about being vigilant particularly travelling to south east provinces. Typically we like to backpack and travel via buses. Has anyone heard something similar and/or have advice about travelling within specific areas in Turkey?
Aug 7th, 2012, 09:27 AM
#3
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I got the travel warning from the link below:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...europe/turkey/
We wanted the freedom to travel anywhere including more south like Mardin, Gaziantep, Antakya. I guess because of the Syrian situation? Doesnt say.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...europe/turkey/
We wanted the freedom to travel anywhere including more south like Mardin, Gaziantep, Antakya. I guess because of the Syrian situation? Doesnt say.
Aug 7th, 2012, 10:23 AM
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I'm not an expert or terribly well informed on the Syrian situation but if I was going to Turkey and traveling as you have described, I'd get very well informed. There are lots of refugees and uncertainty in the border areas, the UN and individual countries are focusing on the area. Your announced destinations would put you right into the teeth of the neighboring conflict. I would think you would need to be well advised and careful. That "freedom" you are looking for could be elusive and dangerous.
Aug 7th, 2012, 12:16 PM
#6
This is not the best time to go backpacking and traveling by bus East of a line drawn between Amasya-Kayseri and Adana and South of the line between Amasya and Ardahan.
If very interested, you can fly into Kars, Gaziantep, Mardin or Urfa as long as you are willing to stay within a 25-50 kilometer radius of these cities and only on major highways and preferably with a local guide.
Kilis, Antakya, Iskenderun and possibly Diyarbakir, Batman and Adiyaman should be avoided.
There is a low risk of being kidnapped and a higher risk of being caught by a land mine placed for hitting at security forces, or getting caught in a cross-fire if and when traveling close to a security patrole, vehicle or location.
The situation in Syria is not clear because there is just too much misinformation relesd by both the government and the rebels as well as United Kingdom, France, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia supporting the rebels openly and the United States and Israel, biting their nails and realizing that supporting the rebels as they have done earlier meant giving fundametalist Islam and Al Kaida a nice boost.
Syrian government forces have almost totally withdrawn from the 900 kilometer Turkish border, leaving the area in the hands of a strong Kurdish group who seem to have strong relations with the PKK terrorists fighting the Turkish security forces in Southeastern Turkey. It seems that currently there is two way arms traffic at the border. From tukey to syria to the fundamentalist islamists and from syria to turkey to the PKK terrorists.
If people were not being killed and families disrupted and so many people suffering, the whole thing could be an absurd black comedy, especially considering that the Turkish primeminister is now blaming Assad for allowing the Kurdish rebels to control the Turkish border, when it was the Turkish assistance to the rebels which forced Assad to withdraw to more defensable positions closer to the Russian military bases.
Anyway, there is nothing agains any locals or foreign nationals. only security forces are targeted and only in the Southeast and East.
If very interested, you can fly into Kars, Gaziantep, Mardin or Urfa as long as you are willing to stay within a 25-50 kilometer radius of these cities and only on major highways and preferably with a local guide.
Kilis, Antakya, Iskenderun and possibly Diyarbakir, Batman and Adiyaman should be avoided.
There is a low risk of being kidnapped and a higher risk of being caught by a land mine placed for hitting at security forces, or getting caught in a cross-fire if and when traveling close to a security patrole, vehicle or location.
The situation in Syria is not clear because there is just too much misinformation relesd by both the government and the rebels as well as United Kingdom, France, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia supporting the rebels openly and the United States and Israel, biting their nails and realizing that supporting the rebels as they have done earlier meant giving fundametalist Islam and Al Kaida a nice boost.
Syrian government forces have almost totally withdrawn from the 900 kilometer Turkish border, leaving the area in the hands of a strong Kurdish group who seem to have strong relations with the PKK terrorists fighting the Turkish security forces in Southeastern Turkey. It seems that currently there is two way arms traffic at the border. From tukey to syria to the fundamentalist islamists and from syria to turkey to the PKK terrorists.
If people were not being killed and families disrupted and so many people suffering, the whole thing could be an absurd black comedy, especially considering that the Turkish primeminister is now blaming Assad for allowing the Kurdish rebels to control the Turkish border, when it was the Turkish assistance to the rebels which forced Assad to withdraw to more defensable positions closer to the Russian military bases.
Anyway, there is nothing agains any locals or foreign nationals. only security forces are targeted and only in the Southeast and East.
Aug 7th, 2012, 12:44 PM
#8
molyneux, if you wish, you can do the Black Sea, East and west but it will not be the best time of the year.
Consider Cappadocia, Hattusas, Amasya.
or
West of Adana, from mersin all the way to Antalya on the coast, which is seldom traveled and very beautiful with great natural scenery and antiquity.
Consider Cappadocia, Hattusas, Amasya.
or
West of Adana, from mersin all the way to Antalya on the coast, which is seldom traveled and very beautiful with great natural scenery and antiquity.
