Turkey’s Travel Advisory Updated By State Department

The US Department of State issued an updated Travel Advisory for the Republic of Turkey.

On September 5, 2019, the State Department said ‘Exercise increased caution when traveling to Turkey due to arbitrary detentions.’

And, this updated Travel Advisory says some areas in Turkey have increased risk, such as:

Level 4 - Do not travel to:

• Areas near the Syrian and Iraqi borders.

Level 3 - Reconsider travel to:

• Batman, Bingol, Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hakkari, Hatay, Kilis, Mardin, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sirnak, Tunceli, and Van.

This Advisory continued to say ‘Security forces have detained tens of thousands of individuals, including U.S. citizens, for alleged affiliations organizations based on scant or secret evidence and grounds that appear to be politically motivated.’

‘U.S. citizens have also been subject to travel bans that prevent them from departing Turkey.’

The State Department website says ‘We want you to know the danger of traveling to high-risk places and to strongly consider not going to them at all. Traveling to high-risk locations puts your life, and possibly the lives of others, in jeopardy.’ 

‘Traveling to high-risk areas puts you at increased risk for kidnapping, hostage-taking, theft, and serious injury.’

If you decide to travel to Turkey:

• Stay alert in locations frequented by Westerners. Stay at hotels with identifiable security measures.
• Avoid demonstrations and crowds.
• Monitor local media and adjust your plans based on new information.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations, such as this Traveler’s Checklist.
• The U.S. Embassy in Ankara is located at 110 Atatürk Blvd., Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara, Turkey. 

Previously, on June 18, 2019, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said to ensure you are up-to-date on several Routine Vaccinations before visiting the Republic of Turkey.

Furthermore, a measles vaccination is important since Turkey is included in the CDC’s worldwide measles alert.

Additionally, the CDC suggests these travel vaccinations to many when visiting Turkey:

• Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies, and Typhoid

These vaccines and related medications can be found at most travel vaccination pharmacies in the USA. Pre-trip, vaccination counseling appointments can be scheduled at Vax-Before-Travel.

Published by Vax Before Travel