Is-it Safe to travel to Turkey ?

Ankara and Istanbul

The FCO has advised that Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, and Ankara, its capital, are mostly safe.

Western Turkey and the Riviera

The Turkish Riviera, in the west of the country, is a stretch of coastline boasting some of the finest beaches in Europe and is the most commonly visited region of Turkey by tourists. The FCO says coastal resorts, where the majority of British tourists go, remain safe and “do not appear to be significantly affected” by terrorism.

Central Turkey

Despite its remoteness and weaker infrastructure, central Turkey had seen a rise in tourism in the years leading up to 2016. Most visitors head to the ancient region of Cappadocia, which has become well known for its unusual rock formations and cave hotels.

Central Turkey has also been given a green light by the FCO, which has no warnings in place for the region.

Lonely Planet says that “even compared to many other popular traveller destinations across the world, Cappadocia remains an incredibly safe place”, including for solo female travellers.

The FCO has “warned those in Turkey not to travel to destinations near the country’s border with Syria and Iraq, such as the ancient city of Kilis – which is popular with independent travellers – and a number of regions further inland, including the provinces of Diyarbakir and Tunceli”