Terrorism - Turkey travel advice - GOV.UK

Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Turkey. ... There is a heightened risk of terrorist attack against the aviation industry in Turkey ... Skiptomaincontent CookiesonGOV.UK Weusesomeessentialcookiestomakethiswebsitework. We’dliketosetadditionalcookiestounderstandhowyouuseGOV.UK,rememberyoursettingsandimprovegovernmentservices. Wealsousecookiessetbyothersitestohelpusdelivercontentfromtheirservices. Acceptadditionalcookies Rejectadditionalcookies Viewcookies Youcanchangeyourcookiesettingsatanytime. Hidethismessage Coronavirus(COVID-19) Latestupdatesandguidance Home Passports,travelandlivingabroad Travelabroad Foreigntraveladvice Foreigntraveladvice Turkey Contents Summary Coronavirus Terrorism Safetyandsecurity Locallawsandcustoms Entryrequirements Health Naturaldisasters Money Traveladvicehelpandsupport Subscriptions Getemailalerts Subscribetofeed Terrorism TerroristsareverylikelytotrytocarryoutattacksinTurkey. UKCounterTerrorismPolicinghasinformationandadviceonstayingsafeabroadandwhattodointheeventofaterroristattack.Findoutmoreabouttheglobalthreatfromterrorism. Mostterroristattackshavetakenplaceinthesouth-eastofthecountryandinAnkaraandIstanbul.Whilethereisapotentialthatcitizensfromwesterncountriesmaybetargetsorcaughtupinattacks,particularlyinthemajorcities,attacksaremostlikelytotargettheTurkishstate,civiliansanddemonstrations. Attackscouldbeindiscriminate,affectingpublicbuildings,majoreventsorlargepublicgatherings.Bevigilantaroundsignificantreligiousoccasionsandpublicholidays;terroristgroupssometimescallforattacksaroundthesetimes. Previousmethodsofattackhaveincludedarmedassaults,suicidebombings,carbombings,rocketattacks,arsonandimprovisedexplosivedevicesleftinrefusebins,crowdedareas,shopsandonpublictransport.Bevigilant,monitormediareportsandkeepuptodatewiththistraveladvice. ThereisaheightenedriskofterroristattackagainsttheaviationindustryinTurkey.Youshouldco-operatefullywithsecurityofficialsatairports. ItisillegaltobeamemberorsupporterofaterroristorganisationinTurkey.SomeorganisationsintheregionthoughnotproscribedintheUK,suchastheYPGandtheGülenMovementareillegalinTurkey. AnumberofterroristgroupsareactiveinTurkey: Daesh ThelastmajorattackattributedtoDaeshoccurredon1January2017attheReinanightclubinOrtakoy,Istanbul;39peoplewerekilledand69injured. ExtremistgroupsbasedinSyriaincludingDaeshandAl-Qaeda(AQ)linkedgroupshavethecapacitytocarryoutattacksinneighbouringcountries,includingTurkey.DaeshhaspreviouslytargetedbordercrossingsandnearbylocationsontheSyriansideoftheborder. PKK There’sadomesticterroristpresenceinthesoutheastofthecountryincludinginVan,Bitlis,Bingol,Elazig,Mus,Batman,Erzincan,DiyarbakirandAgriprovinces. 15AugustistheanniversaryofthefirstPKKattackagainstTurkishgovernmentinstallations.Historically,thisanniversarydatehaspromptedanescalationofviolencebythePKKandothersplintergroups. FarLeftgroups–DHKP-CandTHKP-C Theanti-western,farleft,proscribedterroristgroup,THKP/C-Acilciler(TurkishPeople’sLiberationParty/Front)andthelinkedDHKP/C(RevolutionaryPeople’sLiberationFront)remainactive.TheDHKP/CattackshavemainlytargetedtheTurkishauthoritiesandUSdiplomaticmissions. Betweenapproximately30Marchand20April,thereareseveraldatessignificanttotheDHKP/C,startingwiththe30Marchanniversaryoftheirfoundingwhichmayhavebeenlinkedtopreviousattacks.19DecemberisalsorecognisedasanimportantdatearoundwhichtheDHKP/Cmaybeactive. Globalthreat There’saheightenedthreatofterroristattackgloballyagainstUKinterestsandBritishnationals,fromgroupsorindividualsmotivatedbytheconflictinIraqandSyria.Youshouldbevigilantatthistime. Kidnapping TerroristgroupsoperatinginSyria,includingDaeshandAQ-linkedgroups,routinelyusekidnappingasatactic.They’representintheSyrianborderareasandyoushouldbeparticularlyvigilantifyouareintheselocations.Daeshandotherterroristgroupsviewthoseengagedinhumanitarianaidworkorjournalismaslegitimatetargets.Ifyou’rekidnapped,thereasonforyourpresenceisunlikelytoserveasprotectionorsecureyoursaferelease. Thelong-standingpolicyoftheBritishGovernmentisnottomakesubstantiveconcessionstohostagetakers.TheBritishGovernmentconsidersthatpayingransomsandreleasingprisonersbuildsthecapabilityofterroristgroupsandfinancestheiractivities.Thiscan,inturn,increasetheriskoffurtherhostage-taking.TheTerrorismAct(2000)makespaymentstoterroristsillegal. 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