An official update has been issued for travel to Turkey. It comes as many people in Nottinghamshire wait to see whether planned trips to Turkey will go ahead this half term.
Tragically, nearly 16,000 people are now known to have been killed and thousands injured by a huge earthquake which struck south-eastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, in the early hours of Monday morning. It is feared the number of people killed will carry on rising.
Travel in the quake zone is almost impossible, hampering rescue efforts. In addition to the natural disaster, the area has seen affected by war over the past decade.
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The areas most badly affected are not popular with UK travellers. The worst hit region of Turkey, near the town of Gaziantep, is somewhere only intrepid tourists would normally visit.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office was already advising caution to prospective travellers before the quake. Now, it is obviously a no-go zone.
The tragedy has occurred in the south east of Turkey. The main tourist resorts – for example, Bodrum and Marmaris – are in the south west, hundreds of miles away.
What is the Government's travel update for Turkey?
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) says: "The Turkish government has announced a national emergency in the 10 provinces affected by the earthquake. These are the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Malatya, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adana."
The FCDO has produced a map. It shows that most of Turkey is safe for travel.
It adds: "The Turkish Government has stated that only vehicles which carry aid teams and aid materials will be allowed to enter cities deemed to be inside the area of the disaster. If you are in Turkey or planning to travel there you should follow the information and advice from local authorities/your tour operator."
Will my half-term holiday to Turkey be cancelled?
At present, no airlines serving the UK have announced cancellations to their flights in relation to the natural disaster. And there is no indication that package holidays to the popular resorts on the Aegean and Mediterranean will be affected.
Your travel operator will advise you if there are any changes you need to be aware of. But the message from the tourism industry is that Turkey's resorts will remain open for business, despite the tragic events.
If you are looking for a half-term break in Turkey, Jet2 offers flights and packages from East Midlands Airport. During half-term week, they fly to Antalya (gateway to the Turkish resorts) on Friday, February 17.
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