Travel to Turkey after Earthquake in Turkey

In this post we would be talking in detail about Earthquake in Turkey and How it is going to impact our travel plan.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey, and the Foreign Office (FCDO) is telling tourists to “avoid the immediate vicinity” of the event and so is US Embassy.

Since Turkey is situated on the various fault lines it is prone to Earthquake but most of them which happened over the span of the year were not as deadly as the one which just hit today of February 06 2023. If you are looking for knowing more about the earthquakes and timeline you could check a very list mentioned by madeinturkeytours on their website where they have shared the timeline about the earthquakes starting from December 26, 1939.

Earthquake in Turkey

On the morning of 06th February 2023, Turkey was struck by a devastating earthquake. As people awoke to find their homes shaking and crumbling around them, it became clear that this destructive force had left its mark on the country. With an estimated magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, this earthquake caused widespread destruction and loss across the nation. Many cities were affected: buildings were destroyed, roads torn apart, and lives lost in the disaster.

The center of the first earthquake Gaziantep and it was mentioned that in noon time there was another earthquake of 7,5 magnitude and the center was around Kahramanmaraş – Erdbeben.

Are trips to Turkey in the next few weeks still safe, and do airlines still fly there?

Here’s all the information you need.

Which parts of Turkey are affected?

The first earthquake hurt the city of Gaziantep and the provinces around it the most. At 4.17 a.m. local time, people felt the first quake. One person told CNN that it felt like it would never end.

The city is in the southeast of the country, near the border with Syria and a long way from Turkey’s most popular tourist spots. It is 823 kilometers east of the port of Antalya in the south and 1,139 kilometers southeast of the port of Istanbul.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake is the strongest one to hit Turkey in more than 80 years. In August 1999, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the country, but the last 7.8 magnitude earthquake was recorded in December 1939.

Aftershocks, which have been felt since the first quake, are a worry for tourists and other people who plan to visit the area.

Later on Monday, Turkey’s AFAP emergency authority reported a second quake in the town of Ekinozu, this time at a magnitude of 7.5. The town is 842km east of Antalya, and 196km north of Gaziantep.

Have airlines cancelled flights to Turkey?

We do have cancellation for the flights because of the heavy snowstorm in turkey more than 200 flights were cancelled day before yesterday but to get better understand you can check the flights status here

But no travel trips and things are cancelled because of the Earthquake, Normal cancellation and things are just okay and you can check that from the website shared above.

Now if you are already in Istanbul and was thinking about going to Cappadocia then as per the recent check which I could do, Some of the flights tomorrow are cancelled to Cappadocia and some of them have no statused mentioned so I am happy to assume that it is going to work.

Travel Advice: What to do?

US Embassy Travel Advice

Due to the recent earthquake, the U.S. government is advising citizens to avoid travel to the affected areas and not enter any damaged buildings until deemed safe by Turkish authorities. If you’re already in the area, be cautious.

The U.S. government is deferring all non-essential travel to U.S. Consulate Adana’s district – Adana, Adiyaman, Batman, Bingol, Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Gaziantep, Hakkari, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malayta, Mardin, Mersin, Mus, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, Sirnak, Siirt, Tunceli, and Van.

According to US Embassy above highlighted areas are in there notice.

Also, there’s been some heavy snow and poor weather conditions in the northwestern region causing flight cancellations and delays. Keep an eye on the Mission Türkiye website for any disruptions in consular services and check the flight status if you’re flying to/from Istanbul International Airport. Stay in touch with airlines and check the airport’s website for contact numbers.

FCDO Advise from UK

The FCDO advise against all travel to:

• areas within 10km of the border with Syriam Sirnak and the province of Hakkari

Notice from Turkey Cultural Ministry.

At the moment they have just cancelled the activities planned for State Theaters, State Opera and Ballet, and the General Directorate of Fine Arts of our Ministry, were suspended until further notice

Kahramanmaraş'ta meydana gelen ve birçok ilimizi etkileyen deprem sonrası Bakanlığımıza bağlı Devlet Tiyatroları, Devlet Opera ve Balesi ile Güzel Sanatlar Genel Müdürlüğümüz dahil tüm birimlerimizce planlanan etkinliklerimiz ikinci bir açıklamaya kadar durdurulmuştur.

— T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı (@TCKulturTurizm) February 6, 2023