Turkey: FCDO issues fresh travel warning after national emergency declared
Will PayneThe Foreign Office is continuing to advise against travel to south-east Turkey after a national emergency was declared in the region following two deadly earthquakes earlier this week.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the south-eastern Turkish city of Gaziantep and surrounding areas on Monday (6 February) before a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the neighbouring province of Kahramanmaras hours later.
According to the BBC, the death toll in Turkey and neighbouring Syria passed 11,000 on Wednesday (8 February) and there are warnings the number could continue to rise.
In a fresh update, the FCDO confirmed the Turkish government’s decision to declare a national emergency in the 10 provinces affected by the disaster – Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Malatya, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, Hatay, Osmaniye and Adana.
Only vehicles carrying aid teams and aid materials will be allowed to enter cities deemed to be inside the area of the disaster. While the quake struck some significant distance from heavily touristed areas, any UK residents in the area have been urged to make contact and confirm their safety.
In response to the crisis, Holiday Extras pledged £10,000 towards relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, while Intrepid Travel and the Intrepid Foundation has launched its own emergency appeal in conjunction with the Red Cross.
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