Is it safe to travel to Turkey right now? The truth behind the headlines

As a two-decade veteran of living in Türkiye, I've seen travel warnings come and go. We're now in March 2026 and sadly there's another war in the Middle East (or excursion, as current president of the US Donald Trump would have it). What does this mean for travellers hoping to visit Turkey for a holiday this summer? Are there any other safety issues we need to think about?

What the UK Foreign Office says - UK travel advice for Turkey

The UK FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) reassures people wanting to travel to Turkey that, aside from within 10km of the Syrian border, holidaying in Turkey this year is considered as safe as staying at home. That area is hundreds of kilometres from the nearest big tourist resort, Alanya, and more than the same distance again to the Aegean Sea, where Didim, Altinkum and Bodrum are located.

Did you know? Didim is closer to Athens than to the Middle East

Isn't the US at war with Iran? Why are there no warnings about Turkey's border with Iran?

Turkey borders Iran in the very far east of Turkey and the very far north of Iran. Iran itself itself is a vast country and the border with Türkiye is not considered high risk.

What about US air bases in Adana and Cyprus?

The UK government does not currently advise against travel to Adana in the east of Turkey, or to Northern Cyprus, technically a , despite alleged (Adana) and confirmed (Cyprus) strikes by Iran against the US air bases at those locations. The US air base in Cyprus is in the southern part of the island, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is (you guessed it) in the north of the island. Both of these locations are hundreds of miles from the western Turkey resorts like Bodrum and Didim.

What do the big tour operators say about whether it's safe to travel to Turkey?

TUI and Jet2 are the biggest tour companies operating flights to Turkey, and along with smaller operators, they agree that holidays to popular Turkish resorts like Didim and Kusadasi in the Aegean and Bodrum, Marmaris and Antalya in the Turkish Riviera are unaffected and safe for travel, unless UK FCDO advice changes.

Did you know? The distance between Didim and the borders with Syria and Iran is similar to London to Switzerland

Isn't there a current UK terrorism warning covering Turkey?

Yes, the UK considers both Turkey and the UK itself as at risk of terrorist attacks. The warning in Turkey relates to past incidents in the south-east of the country (the area hundreds of miles from the main tourist resorts), Ankara and Istanbul. The UK FCDO also warns travellers to stay clear of political rallies and demonstrations to avoid being caught up in any violence or heavy-handed police response.

Practical advice if you want to travel to Turkey at the moment

• Stick to well-known western Mediterranean and Aegean area tourism destinations

• Avoid demonstrations or political gatherings

• Keep alert for pickpockets in crowded tourist areas

• Make sure your travel insurance covers Turkey

• Monitor the UK FCDO advice for any changes

And finally....

This is a genuine graphic produced by ChatGPT at my request to illustrate how far the resort of Didim / Altinkum is from the Avoid zone along the Syrian border. It's almost entirely wrong. See if you can spot the 3 points of accuracy! Just shows you can't trust AI....

*****THIS GRAPHIC IS STRICTLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT VALUE ONLY****

********IT IS NONSENSE AND SHOWS WHY YOU CAN NEVER TRUST CHATGPT*********

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