Turkey: FCDO cautions against travel to south-east after second earthquake
Gary NoakesThe Foreign Office is continuing to advise against travel to south-east Turkey following two earthquakes in less than 12 hours, which have claimed more than 2,000 lives.
A new 7.5 magnitude tremor hit around 10.30am UK time following the 7.8 magnitude quake experienced during the early hours of Monday (6 February). The second earthquake was on a different fault line and likely to have been triggered by the first, experts believe.
The epicentre of the first quake was around the city of Gaziantep in south eastern Turkey, far removed from the nearest tourist entry point of Antalya – a 10-hour, 511-mile drive away. The second tremor was around 50 miles north of Gaziantep. Gaziantep itself is not a major tourist destination, but its museums contain many priceless relics and mosaics from nearby Roman settlements.
The disaster is unlikely to prompt operators or airlines to cancel departures to Turkey’s coastal gateways, with easyJet and Pegasus Airlines departures to Antalya leaving as normal on Monday.
The FCDO later updated its travel advice to read: "A 7.8 earthquake hit Gaziantep and neighbouring provinces in the south-east of Turkey on 6 February 2023. On the same day a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the neighbouring province of Kahramanmaras. There have been several strong after shocks.
"If you are in Turkey or planning to travel there you should follow the information and advice from local authorities/your tour operator. If you’re in the Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras or neighbouring provinces and it is safe to do so, contact your friends and family to tell them you are safe."
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