Turkey warning: US advises of threats to Istanbul and Antalya

A Turkish soldier stands guard in Diyarbakir, 18 February 2016Reuters

Turkey has been on alert following a series of attacks by militants

The US has warned its citizens of "credible threats" to tourist areas in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul and the southern resort city of Antalya.

Both the Islamic State group (IS) and Kurdish militants have claimed a number of attacks in Turkey in recent months.

Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against IS, and coalition planes use its air base at Incirlik for raids in Iraq and Syria.

Turkey is also conducting a campaign against Kurdish militants.

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A ceasefire between the government and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) broke down last year.

On Saturday an emergency travel warning was published on the website of the US embassy in Turkey.

"There are credible threats to tourist areas, in particular to public squares and docks in Istanbul and Antalya. Please exercise extreme caution if you are in the vicinity of such areas," it read.

Antalya, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, is a major tourist centre visited by millions of people every year.

The warning comes a day after Israel's counterterrorism bureau urged all Israelis to avoid Turkey, saying: "There are immediate risks of attacks being carried out in the country, and we stress the threat applies to all tourism sites in Turkey."

EPA

A suicide bomber targeted a shopping centre in Istanbul last month

Recent attacks in Turkey

  • 31 March: attack on a bus stop in mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir killed seven

  • 19 March: a suicide bomber killed three Israelis and one Iranian in a shopping area in Istanbul

  • 13 March: 35 people killed by Kurdish militants in Ankara

  • February: 28 killed in military convoy in Ankara

  • January: 12 German tourists died in a suspected IS suicide bombing in Istanbul; seven killed in a suicide attack on a police HQ in Diyarbakir

  • October 2015: More than 100 people are killed in a double suicide bombing at a Kurdish peace rally in Ankara

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