Posted on 02/15/2019 6:39:36 AM PST by Texas Fossil
Reconsider travel to Turkey due to terrorism and arbitrary detentions. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
Do not travel to:
Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Turkey. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. Terrorists have also previously targeted Western tourists and expatriates.
Security forces have detained tens of thousands of individuals, including U.S. citizens, for alleged affiliations with terrorist organizations based on scant or secret evidence and grounds that appear to be politically motivated. U.S. citizens have also been subject to travel bans that prevent them from departing Turkey. Participation in demonstrations not explicitly approved by the Government of Turkey, as well as criticism of the government, including on social media, can result in arrest.
The U.S. government has very limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens traveling in Batman, Bingol, Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hakkari, Hatay, Kilis, Mardin, Sanliurfa, Siirt, Sirnak, Tunceli, and Van, as the U.S. government restricts its employees from traveling to specific provinces in these regions without prior approval.
Read the Safety and Security section on the country information page.
If you decide to travel to Turkey:
Areas Near Syrian and Iraq Borders – Level 4: Do Not Travel
Do not travel near the Turkey/Syria and Turkey/Iraq borders due to the continued threat of civil war in Syria and attacks by terrorist groups. Terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, ambushes, car bomb detonations, and improvised explosive devices, as well as shootings, roadblocks, and violent demonstrations have occurred in these areas.
Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
But after Turkey's alliance with Maduro in Veneazuela, their cooperation with Iran in bypassing sanctions of the Western Nations and their military threats against all of Northern Syria the warnings are increasing rapidly.
I can see why they have raised the warning level for those traveling to or through Turkey.
Travel advisories though fact based can be political weapons. This TA has teeth in it as Turkey has a huge tourism industry.
In my opinion PDJT has just given Erdogan the finger.
Or am I wrong and we should regard Turkey as the least of the three evils in the region?
Actually, there is not much difference between Iran and Turkey right now.
Turkey is NATO or this would be different.
But yes, I think this is like you suggested, an in your face to Erdogan by the US. Particularly PDJT.
Assad and Russia are bad enough, but Turkey and Iran are both serious trouble.
For the US Turkey is probably the biggest problem we have in the Middle East right now. The other bad guys know what to expect from US and aren’t saying much.
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