Is it safe to travel to Turkey? Latest Foreign Office advice as wildfires spread across Europe

Turkey has joined other holiday destinations across Europe in being struck by wildfires while in the grip of high temperatures.

Mediterranean countries have seen days of flames, first seen on the Greek island of Rhodes but since spreading to Corfu, Sicily and parts of Portugal, France and the Canary Islands.

In Turkey, 10 planes, 22 helicopters and more than 200 vehicles have been deployed this week in the firefighting efforts in Kemer area, with some 120 hectares of woodland burned, tourism minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told reporters.

The temperature has exceeded 40C in some parts of the country over the past few days, and the Antalya region – one of the most popular spots for British tourists – has seen evacuations and people treated for smoke inhalation.

With the summer holidays upon us, many people will be ready to head away for a break. If you’re booked to travel to Turkey, you might be asking: is it still safe to go? Here’s what we know so far.

A wildfire broke out near the tourist resort of Kemer in the southern province of Antalya, on Tuesday (25 July), with firefighters tackling the blaze amid high temperatures. Strong winds and low humidity meant the flames spread fast, according to a statement from the office of Antalya’s governor.

Local authorities have taken all necessary measures to prevent the fire spreading to residential areas, according to officials.

A forest fire in Istanbul’s Beykoz district can be seen from Bosphorus and emergency services are also dealing with outbreaks in Aegean Izmir, Afyonkarahisar, and Kütahya provinces, reports local publication Duvar English.

Last week, fires were reported in the provinces of Mersin and Hatay, both in the south-east of the country, as well as Canakkale in the west.

Before the extreme heat and wildfires affected Europe, the Foreign Office (FCDO) already had three travel warnings in place for Turkey:

Specific FCDO advice on forest fires states: “Forest fires happen frequently in Turkey during summer. Take care when visiting or driving through woodland areas.

“You could get a fine or prison sentence for lighting a fire of any kind in forbidden areas. This includes barbeques and discarding cigarette butts in the woods. If there is a forest fire in your area, local authorities may tell you to leave your accommodation. Follow the directions of local authorities.”

Travellers are advised to call the emergency services by dialling 112 if they spot a forest fire.

Unlike the fire-stricken Greek islands, where tour operators are being especially flexible around changing holiday plans, this is not the case in Turkey. The risk of fires affecting travel to Turkey is currently very small, so cancelling would likely mean losing the money paid for the booking.

Under the Package Travel Regulations, holidaymakers who book a package can cancel and receive a full refund “if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity which significantly affect the performance of the package or the carriage of passengers to the destination”. Those seeking refunds for independent travel (arranging the journey and accommodation separately) would have to try claiming instead through their travel insurance. But the wildfire risk in Turkey at this time is not extreme enough to make claiming a refund a viable option.

Unless the Foreign Office advice changes, or your trip is cancelled by your airline and/or holiday provider, don’t bet on getting your cash back.