Scully Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 With less than two weeks to go I'm now having second thoughts about our holiday in Antalya in Turkey. It's about 800 km from Kobane and with protests in some big Turkish towns including Ankara and Istanbul and 12 deaths as a result of that rioting due to what the Kurds see as inaction from the Turkish Government, I'm not keen on taking my two kids to a place of civil unrest with the very real possibility of becoming a war zone. Am going to travel agents this week, but does anyone know if I have legitimate concerns enough to warrant getting my money back if I cancel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Personally I wouldn't set foot in the place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 I woulnt go at the moment either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 I realise that you have concerns about going, but if you stay around the hotels ground and (probably) private beach, you should be okay. What hotel are you staying at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Check foreign office for travel advice and insurance policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Sorry to say that I seriously doubt you will get you money back at the moment. You might be able to ask for your location to be changed over the same dates if anything is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peskyfoxs Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Current home office advise: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to the towns of Akḉakale and Ceylanpinar and against all but essential travel to areas within 10km of Turkey’s border with Syria. The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the provinces of Hakkari, Sirnak, Siirt and Tunceli. You should be especially vigilant when travelling in other provinces in south eastern Turkey and in areas close to the Syrian border. See Terrorism and Local Travel - Syrian border. Over 2,500,000 British nationals visit Turkey every year. Most visits are trouble-free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 With less than two weeks to go I'm now having second thoughts about our holiday in Antalya in Turkey. It's about 800 km from Kobane and with protests in some big Turkish towns including Ankara and Istanbul and 12 deaths as a result of that rioting due to what the Kurds see as inaction from the Turkish Government, I'm not keen on taking my two kids to a place of civil unrest with the very real possibility of becoming a war zone. Am going to travel agents this week, but does anyone know if I have legitimate concerns enough to warrant getting my money back if I cancel? 800 km from Kobane, you are in far more serious danger of winning the national lottery than coming to any harm whatsoever on your holiday. We went to Egypt two years running while they were busy having a revolution and it was absolutely fine. People really have so little grasp of what distances actually mean, still, letting ones imagination run wild is what Hollywood thrives on . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 You will be fine, your a long way from the border , there is no way on earth Turkey will let ISIS forces cross their border without giving them a pounding let alone allowing them to travel 800km You will find that the tourist resorts will have no trouble at all , any rioting is normally confined to the big citys , the guys in the tourist resorts realise its only tourism that pay their wages and will not put that at risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 You should have no fear I have an apartment in Alanya that is only 650 k from border and have spent 9 week's there this year. The Turkish people are friendly and generous, go and enjoy your holiday ( have a Turkish bath ) and relax . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesj Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 My wife was in Egypt in a hotel over looking Tahrir square when the revolution started! She said it was exiting! I know its a different situation all together but she was saying that if any foreigners got them selves mixed up in the fighting they were escorted out of the way by ether side and looked after very well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntsman Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 ISIS seem to be growing larger and larger by the day,Turkey has asked for help during this recent incident with the kurdish people The disturbances reported in the news relate to the many hundreds of thousands of kurdish people who live in turkey revolting aginst the lack of intervention from the turkish forces The demonstrations are quite violent as the turkish government does not sem to be doing enough along its borders with the kurds Keep an eye on the FO Site to latest news updates The Turks will not allow ISIS to control their lands ,they will control all areas,especially were tourisim brings in so much money to their economy I have been to Turkey and travelled a vast area from the north right through to the kurdish regions in the south in safety dont worry the FO will not allow you to travel if in any danger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Forget ISIS, this would be enough to put me off "Over 2,500,000 British nationals visit Turkey every year" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STOTTO Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 With less than two weeks to go I'm now having second thoughts about our holiday in Antalya in Turkey. It's about 800 km from Kobane and with protests in some big Turkish towns including Ankara and Istanbul and 12 deaths as a result of that rioting due to what the Kurds see as inaction from the Turkish Government, I'm not keen on taking my two kids to a place of civil unrest with the very real possibility of becoming a war zone. Am going to travel agents this week, but does anyone know if I have legitimate concerns enough to warrant getting my money back if I cancel? Ask yourself, ‘What else is it that I would do against my better judgement’? And you will have your answer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KFC Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 We're due to go to Antalya in December for a tour round the south-west so we're keeping an eye on the situation. At the moment we would go but if it came to the point of having to make the choice between tear-gas or losing the money then I'd lose the money and go to Skeggy, ohhhh! hang on, have to think about that. I've no doubt that, because of the politics involved, IS will relish the destabilisation of Turkey and the confusion that will cause within NATO. Turkey wants to topple Assad and so does NATO but now they need Assad to counter IS and the Kurds, so far, are the only ones taking action. It is exactly this kind of confusion that has allowed IS to expand the way it has. In the old days of a nuclear stand-off then it wasn't so bad but these days, now hostage taking and suicide bombings are the norm then I'm definitely not risking my old-age pension. A coach-load of British tourists makes too much of an easy target for my liking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted October 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Many thanks all. The OH and I have been to Turkey before, and found the locals very friendly. We were in Yugoslavia when the 'troubles' began, were within hearing distance of two bombs which went off as went through Cairo, and another smaller one which went off in Tel Aviv , but all this was before we had kids. My kids are my main concern, otherwise I wouldn't be concerned at all. Thanks for all the replies and advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted October 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 What hotel are you staying at? Kervansaray Lara . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reece Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Looked at on google maps. Looks like that place doesn't have a land border with Syria and it's quite far away from that area where IS is advancing on the Syrian border. Not aware of any protests in that area either. Stay vigilant, but I wouldn't worry about it. Foreign Office travel advice says that area is safe and they usually get it right. Just keep an eye on the situation and check the Foreign Office travel website regularly. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Lots of nice unexplored places opening up why not try one of them, this one is good they tell me tora bora is good this time of year, you may need ear plugs at night? http://afghanistan.saarctourism.org/places-visit.html KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 i have a friend who's lived out in Antalya for a few years now and is still there; I will ask him! from previous chats, he's been pretty relaxed about what it's like actually in the city. There was a bit of strife a few months back with protests, but he still felt happy to be there and pretty safe. I will let you know what he says Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 just picked up a washing machine from a woman who has just come back from turkey (holiday) and she said she had a brilliant time..................i wouldnt go.....trouble follows me about....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fern01 Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Always had a distrust of that country since the two Leeds Utd fans were murdered there some years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 I went a couple years ago with my wife. Never ever again will I holiday in a Muslim country. Plenty of nice places to visit in this world. Figgy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted October 9, 2014 Report Share Posted October 9, 2014 my friend in Antalya says go for it. obviously the south and east is to be avoided, but the rest of the country is fine. If you were in the city now, without knowing anything about the situation in E. Turkey/Syria, you'd be hard pushed to know anything was wrong at all. Go and have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted October 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2014 my friend in Antalya says go for it. obviously the south and east is to be avoided, but the rest of the country is fine. If you were in the city now, without knowing anything about the situation in E. Turkey/Syria, you'd be hard pushed to know anything was wrong at all. Go and have fun You're a star. Many thanks for getting back to me. Kids have told me they're going whether I am or not, so I'll have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.