The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has released a travel warning for Turkey following a severe earthquake in the country. The 7.8 magnitude quake happened in the early hours of Monday (February 6) morning.
More than 1,200 people have died in Turkey and Syria following the quake and hundreds of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble. Turkey’s President Erdogan said 912 people have been killed in Turkey alone, with over 5,000 people wounded.
The earthquake was centred north of Gaziantep, a Turkish provincial capital. Aftershocks were felt on both the Turkish and Syrian sides of the border.
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Travellers are advised to avoid the southeast region of Turkey and follow the advice of local authorities. The Turkish government has announced its highest level of state emergency.
The FCO said: “A 7.8 earthquake hit Gaziantep and nine other Turkish provinces (Hatay, Osmaniye, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Sanliurfa, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Adana, Malatya) in the south east of Turkey on 6 February 2023.
“There have been several strong after-shocks and the Turkish government has announced its highest level of state emergency. You should avoid the Southeast region of Turkey and follow the advice of the local authorities.”
Visit the FCO website for the latest travel advice.
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