Travel advice for Turkey after powerful earthquake rocks Istanbul
Istanbul has been rocked by a series of earthquakes, something scientists have been warning about for years. But if you have holidays booked, is it still safe to travel?
Buildings shook and people fled onto the streets of Turkey's biggest city after three consecutive earthquakes – as strong as 6.2 magnitude – hit before 1pm local time today.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Today's earthquakes hit the western outskirts of Istanbul, a suburban area that is far from the city centre but popular with tourists in the spring and summer.
The most powerful 6.2 magnitude quake hit the coast of the Silivri district around 12.49pm local time (10.49pm BST).
Its epicentre was 40km south of Istanbul, around 10km beneath the Sea of Maramara, but it was close enough to send shockwaves through the city that is home to a fifth of Turkey's population.
Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here.
Live TV captured the moment CNN Türk anchor Meltem Bozbeyoglu realised what was happening.
The BBC's senior international correspondent Orla Guerin, who lives in Istanbul, said she has never felt an earthquake so powerful in six years of living in the city.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said there were no 'serious cases' in the earthquake in a statement made on its social media accounts.
Kemal Cebi, the mayor of the Kucukcekmece district in western Istanbul, told local broadcaster NTV that there were 'no negative developments yet' but he reported that there were traffic jams and that many buildings were already at risk due to the density of the area.
Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines and in some parts of the country, earthquakes are frequent.
Scientists have been warning that a major quake could hit Istanbul for years.
Anxiety around earthquakes has run high in Turkey since 2023, when a series of massive shocks killed more than 55,000 people in southeastern parts of the country and neighbouring Syria.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 6 February 2023, and a second powerful tremor that came hours later, destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and south-eastern Turkish provinces, leaving more than 53,000 people dead.
Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of Syria.
While Istanbul was not impacted by that earthquake, the devastation heightened fears of a similar quake with experts citing the city's proximity to fault lines.
In a bid to prevent damage from any future quake, both the national government and local administrations started urban reconstruction projects to fortify buildings at risk and started campaigns of demolishing buildings at risk of collapse.
The UK Foreign Office has not updated its travel advisory since the earthquakes this morning.
As it stands, the FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism.
It also warns of unrest linked to demonstrations and protests that have taken place across the country in recent weeks.
Last month, hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest the arrest of Istanbul's mayor.
Like with any country, the Foreign Office advises British nationals to stay vigilant when abroad.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman told Metro it is 'monitoring' the ongoing situation in Turkey and keeps its travel advice under 'constant review'.
If an earthquake strikes, the FCDO says you should drop to the ground, cover your head and hold on to something stationary. More Trending
If you are inside a building, you are advised to stay where you are. Avoid sheltering under door frames.
If you are near the ocean, the advice will always be to move to higher ground.
As aftershocks can occur, the FCDO recommends following local advice regarding evacuation or sheltering in place after an initial earthquake.
The FCDO will set up a specific crisis response to help British nationals who might be affected. This can include a dedicated hotline or online registration where you can apply for assistance.
MORE: 'Flying without the riff raff' — Travellers react to new 'glamourous' UK airline
MORE: I bought the 'secret' rail ticket that's the cheapest in the UK — and it was just 10p
MORE: 7 freebies 2025 London Marathon runners can claim this weekend, from Lush to TfL
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'I'm riding 1,000 miles to get to Glastonbury - people think I'm crazy'
One festivalgoer has taken his journey to Glastonbury to all new lengths as he's been cycling 100km a day for almost a month in a bid to get to Worthy Farm from Madrid, Spain The countdown to Glastonbury is fast approaching, with mere days to go before hundreds of thousands of festivalgoers pitch up their tents for five days of spectacular performances. While many will be travelling by car, train or coach, one man is so dedicated to the UK's biggest festival that he's riding a whopping 100km a day on his bike to get there! Ollie White, 25, started his lengthy journey at the end of May from Madrid, Spain, where he lives and works as a content creator for La Liga, the Spanish football league. Over the course of almost a month, he has ventured across majestic mountains, the biggest sand dune in Europe, serene coastlines and desert-like landscapes with just a backpack, a tent and his bicycle. In total, Ollie will travel over 1,600km, or 994 miles, to Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, racking up 62 miles a day. With just a few days to go until the gates open at Glastonbury on Wednesday, 25 June, at 8 am, Ollie has almost completed his trek and has been documenting his journey on TikTok and Instagram every day. In his most recent update on Sunday, 22 June, Ollie confirmed that he reached Plymouth before heading to Totnes, Devon, where he'd stay the night. He is hoping to reach Glastonbury by Tuesday, 24 June. When asked by the BBC why he opted to ride from Madrid to Worthy Farm, he simply said: "I have a ticket for Glastonbury, so why not cycle?" Speaking further about his experience, he also shared with the news outlet: "A lot of people think I'm crazy for doing this, but for me it doesn't seem too crazy. "It's just a challenge I've set myself and, at the end of the day, once you've done all the preparation, you just have to get on the bike each day and do the kilometres." He described his adventure as "absolutely incredible" and that "everything has been really positive". He's spent time camping alone in secluded, yet beautiful spots across Europe and the UK, while taking in nature and the incredible scenery during each leg of his journey. When he finally reaches his end location, Ollie has a list of performances lined up to watch during the weekend at Glastonbury, including Neil Young, Loyle Carner, Kneecap, Caribou, Scissor Sisters and Kaiser Chiefs. He adds that Neil Young has been a particularly good soundtrack while riding through endless countries.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Shock as strict curfews turn top Turkish seaside resort into ghost town after midnight
Plus, there has been a boost to Brits planning summer staycations as new rules mean hotels and restaurants will be much cheaper LAST ORDERS Shock as strict curfews turn top Turkish seaside resort into ghost town after midnight Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A POPULAR tourist destination's night-time curfew means clubs are forced to close by midnight - and tourists have said it has killed off the night scene. Marmaris in Turkey has been cracking down on its nightlife with early closures and a ban on late night music being played. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Marmaris in Turkey has new nightlife rules Credit: TikTok/princesscherene6 3 The rules mean that loud music cannot be played past midnight Credit: Olivia West The crackdown is in response to concerns about harassment and inappropriate behaviour in some of the venues in the area. The decision is also to respect residents in the region. Whilst the curfew and stronger reinforcement of it have come into force more recently, the stopping of music at midnight has been in place for some time. And venues are expected to close by 1am, with drinkers told to leave by 12:30am. However, if these rules are broken, officials can close venues. With the recent changes, some Brits have taken to social media to document and talk about the change in atmosphere in Marmaris. A recent TikTok video shows that some of the bars have been closed, with tape across the front stopping tourists from entering. The bars' corresponding beach sections have also been closed off - causing the beachfront to be empty of tourists. In another video, a user shared how the rules mean no dancing on tables, no tops off, no sparklers and no dancing on chairs. They added: "Tourism is finished." I took my family to the new Nickelodeon Land in Turkey with rides and character meets - here's how to get free entry On one of the videos, a user commented: "Marmaris is finished as a holiday resort, was there in May - empty and very expensive." Another said: "I used to love Marmaris but it's become boring and even the hotel bars shut at like 12:30am which is dull. "I won't go anymore now as it's become crazy expensive." A third agreed: "We don't go on holiday for nightlife so doesn't bother us but was sad to see places so empty." However, some holidaymakers have had different experiences, with some saying they haven't noticed an impact. One visitor commented: "Just got back today and had a great time." Another said: "Now I would be more likely to go." A third wrote: "Here now, still been a fantastic as ever great atmosphere great memories no complaints here." Whilst some of the rules have been around for a while, it appears officials are enforcing the rules more so than usual. As a result, in areas along the promenade, the party destination appears more tame than before. Over in Spain, a tourist hotspot also plans 'to ban 24-hour bars' as it brings in strict curfew. Plus, there has been a boost to Brits planning summer staycations as new rules mean hotels and restaurants will be much cheaper.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Shock as strict curfews turn top Turkish seaside resort into ghost town after midnight
A POPULAR tourist destination's night-time curfew means clubs are forced to close by midnight - and tourists have said it has killed off the night scene. Marmaris in Turkey has been cracking down on its nightlife with early closures and a ban on late night music being played. 3 3 The crackdown is in response to concerns about harassment and inappropriate behaviour in some of the venues in the area. The decision is also to respect residents in the region. Whilst the curfew and stronger reinforcement of it have come into force more recently, the stopping of music at midnight has been in place for some time. And venues are expected to close by 1am, with drinkers told to leave by 12:30am. However, if these rules are broken, officials can close venues. With the recent changes, some Brits have taken to social media to document and talk about the change in atmosphere in Marmaris. A recent TikTok video shows that some of the bars have been closed, with tape across the front stopping tourists from entering. The bars' corresponding beach sections have also been closed off - causing the beachfront to be empty of tourists. In another video, a user shared how the rules mean no dancing on tables, no tops off, no sparklers and no dancing on chairs. They added: "Tourism is finished." I took my family to the new Nickelodeon Land in Turkey with rides and character meets - here's how to get free entry On one of the videos, a user commented: "Marmaris is finished as a holiday resort, was there in May - empty and very expensive." Another said: "I used to love Marmaris but it's become boring and even the hotel bars shut at like 12:30am which is dull. "I won't go anymore now as it's become crazy expensive." A third agreed: "We don't go on holiday for nightlife so doesn't bother us but was sad to see places so empty." However, some holidaymakers have had different experiences, with some saying they haven't noticed an impact. One visitor commented: "Just got back today and had a great time." Another said: "Now I would be more likely to go." A third wrote: "Here now, still been a fantastic as ever great atmosphere great memories no complaints here." Whilst some of the rules have been around for a while, it appears officials are enforcing the rules more so than usual. As a result, in areas along the promenade, the party destination appears more tame than before. Over in Spain, a tourist hotspot also plans 'to ban 24-hour bars' as it brings in strict curfew. Plus, there has been a boost to Brits planning summer staycations as new rules mean hotels and restaurants will be much cheaper.
