Tourists bound for, or already in, Turkey have been advised against travelling to the south-east of the country following two deadly earthquakes hitting the country – registering as the most devastating for 80 years.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked parts of Turkey and Syria early on Monday, followed by a 7.5 magnitude quake later in the day.
Southern Turkey and northern Syria were the worst affected areas, with between 1,000 and 2,000 people counted as dead in early counts and that total rising quickly later in the day. The quakes were felt across the two countries and Lebanon, Cyprus and Israel.
While the Department of Foreign Affairs has not updated its website beyond the existing Covid-related travel information, Britain’s Foreign Office updated its site to advise tourists against travelling to any area within 10km of the Turkish border with Syria.
It has also advised against “all but essential” travel to the areas of Sirnak and Hakkari in southern Turkey.
