breaking travel news turkey

Turkish Airlines waives cancellation, change fees for Tel Aviv passengers amid fighting

British travelers increasingly favoring Türkiye as their top choice for vacations

The Independent, a British newspaper, reported a substantial rise in holiday bookings for Türkiye. "In comparison to 2019, there is a notable increase of 1.2 million seats on flights from...

Turkish Airlines cancels some flights to Italy ahead of strikes

Due to planned Italian strikes, flights canceled for Sunday connecting the Turkish metropolis Istanbul to Bologna, Venice, and Milan Türkiye's flag carrier Turkish Airlines has canceled some flights to and...

Ukrainians choose Turkey for summer season

Ukrainian officials thanked the Turkish government for helping his nationals, saying Ankara ensured the transfer of some 3,000 Ukrainians back to homeland amid virus outbreak.

Constant wind in Turkey’s Aegean coast lures windsurfers

The beach is considered one of the eight best beaches in Europe for wind and kite-surfing.

Cappadocia visitors up 27 pct in second half 2019

The region which is a popular tourist spot in central Turkey welcomed nearly 394,000 visitors last month.

Paragliding paradise attracts visitors in Ölüdeniz

Turkey’s southwestern Ölüdeniz neighborhood fascinates domestic and foreign tourists alike. Not to mention paragliders from across the world.

Salt Lake hosts thousands of flamingos in Turkey

One of the biggest lakes in Turkey, Salt Lake located in the central Anatolia region is the most important nesting grounds for flamingos.

Beaches in Turkish metropolitan are safe to swim

According to annual water analysis reports, 81 beaches in Turkey's Istanbul are both hygienic and safe to swim.

Hot air balloon festival begins in Cappadocia

Over 10 countries, including the US, Spain, Britain, Brazil, and Mexico, registered for the event, organized by the Urgup Municipality in the central Nevşehir province.

Turkish gov’t submits new bill for new tourism promotion

Turkey’s ruling party submits a bill on a new agency to proceed to parliament.

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3 girls found dead and 16 rescued after a boat carrying migrants is lost near a Greek island

Eid prayers held in a historic former mosque in northern Greece for the first time in 100 years

Turkey and Israel announce trade barriers on each other as relations deteriorate over Gaza

Turkey’s top election authority restores newly elected pro-Kurdish mayor’s right to hold office

Turkey denies newly elected pro-Kurdish mayor the right to hold office in country’s east

Three found dead, 16 rescued after a boat carrying migrants hits rocks near greek island.

Rescuers on the eastern Greek island of Chios on Wednesday recovered the bodies of three girls who died after a boat carrying migrants from nearby Turkey hit rocks. Officials said that 14 people, including eight children, were rescued by the coast guard off rugged coasts on the northeast of the island, some 12.5 miles from Turkey. Two men were also found ashore.

Watch therapy dogs comfort anxious travelers at Istanbul airport

Millions of tulips bloom across istanbul marking the arrival of spring, fire at an istanbul nightclub during renovations kills at least 29 people, turkey seizes its third largest cocaine haul. experts say the country is becoming a drug transit hub.

After a huge setback in local elections, which way forward now for Turkey’s Erdogan?

Nuremberg teen Can Uzun is starring in Germany’s second division. Where will he go next?

A car bomb in a Syrian opposition-held town kills at least 3 people, including 2 children

In setback to Turkey’s Erdogan, opposition makes huge gains in local election

Turkey’s high-stakes mayoral races are expected to be close. Volunteer monitors will be key

Things to know about the Turkish local elections that will gauge Erdogan’s popularity

Turkish warplanes strike Kurdish militant positions in Iraq after attack kills soldier, wounds 4

Former barcelona player arda turan found guilty of tax fraud in spain, turkey and somalia strike an oil and gas cooperation deal for the horn of africa nation.

Turkey struggles to stop violence against women. At least 71 have been killed this year

Turkey detains 7 more people for allegedly selling information to Israel’s spy agency

Turkey rejects accusations by a human rights group that it committed abuses in Syria

Hungary’s Orban says Trump’s comeback as president ‘only serious chance’ for end of Ukraine war

Senators warily allow F-16 sale to Turkey as part of NATO expansion agreement. ‘A deal’s a deal’

Turkey bears responsibility for possible war crimes in Syria, Human Rights Watch says

Turkish central bank keeps its key interest rate unchanged, pausing a series of hikes

Turkey detains company director as part of inquiry into gold mine landslide that left 9 missing, turkey dispatches rescue boats after cargo ship with 6 crew sinks in marmara sea.

Turkey detains 4 as part of a probe into a gold mine landslide that left at least 9 missing

9 gold mine workers are missing in Turkey after a landslide that carries environmental risks

Turkish police arrest an islamic state suspect who worked at a nuclear power plant, reports say.

Turkey hails its first astronaut who returned from a 3-week mission to International Space Station

Astronauts from Turkey, Italy and Sweden return to Earth, ending private space station trip

Turkey’s new central bank chief assures that work to combat inflation will press on

3 people killed in alleged extremist attack at Turkey’s largest courthouse

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Putin will visit turkey soon to discuss new black sea grain export ideas for ukraine, minister says.

Turkish parliament strips imprisoned opposition lawmaker of seat

Indonesian police arrest 3 Mexicans after a Turkish tourist is wounded in an armed robbery in Bali

Middle East latest: US predicts attack by Iran against Israel - as Iranian sources 'brief Washington officials on nature of response'

Washington officials expect Iran to attack Israel in retaliation to a strike on its embassy in Syria - as the US says it will not be drawn into any wider war and Tehran suggests its response will be non-escalatory. Listen to our latest podcast on how tensions are escalating in the region.

Friday 12 April 2024 14:18, UK

• Israel-Hamas war
• US predicts attack by Iran against Israel - but says Washington won't be drawn into war
• Iran attack on Israel expected in next 36 hours - report
• Tehran 'telling US' it won't act hastily and will avoid major escalation
• Number of Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza rises to 33,634, health ministry says
• Dominic Waghorn:  Risk of bigger war rising - but Biden knows he can't blink
• Alex Crawford report : Yemeni fishermen face threat of Houthi attack - but on Gaza they are firmly behind the militants
• Live reporting by Niamh Lynch

The father of one of the aid workers killed in a 1 April air strike in Gaza has called for an independent investigation into the attack.

John Flickinger, father of Jacob Flickinger, paid tribute to his 33-year-old son, while also indicating Israel should face consequences for its actions.

Jacob, a dual US and Canadian citizen, was part of the relief team working to bring aid to Gazans in need with the charity World Central Kitchen.

"To ask Israel to investigate itself is like asking the perpetrator to investigate themselves," Mr Flickinger said.

"We need some an independent investigation outside of the Israeli government.

"So far there have been no consequences, so the time for idle words is over," he added.

"Consequences should have been effective a long time ago.

"Humanitarian aid workers have been targeted throughout this conflict. Over 200 Gazan workers have been killed."

Paying tribute to his son, Mr Flickinger said he was "very adventurous" and "a devoted friend".

"He loved the outdoors. Rock climbing, hiking, camping, a lot of wilderness survival stuff. He would go out, do winter camping in the snow with basically nothing."

"He was a devoted friend. Probably the best friend that you could ever have and that's kind of come out last week in the outpouring of support for him from friends all over the world really. He was dedicated to serving others. He wanted to make a difference in the world."

Jacob served for more than 10 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and had been deployed to Afghanistan. His father said he joined World Central Kitchen last autumn in Acapulco, Mexico.

Mr Flickinger said he and his son discussed the risk of working in Gaza.

"He said, 'Dad, people are starving there, and I think I can help'. And I appreciated that, and he was confident to a degree and that the World Central Kitchen had been on the ground there since the beginning of the conflict."

Human rights lawyers have filed a lawsuit against a German government decision to approve the export of 3,000 anti-tank weapons to Israel, the second case of its kind this month.

Last week, Berlin lawyers said they had filed an urgent appeal to halt exports of war weapons to Israel, citing reasons to believe they were being used in ways that could violate international humanitarian law in Gaza. 

The latest case, brought by five Palestinians from Gaza, was supported by lawyers from the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) in Berlin and Palestinian human rights organisations, the ECCHR said in a statement. 

ECCHR said the government granted export clearance for 3,000 anti-tank weapons to Israel after the 7 October attack, but an export permit application for 10,000 rounds of ammunition to Israel had yet to be approved. 

"Germany cannot remain true to its values if it exports weapons to a war in which serious violations of international humanitarian law are obvious," ECCHR secretary general Wolfgang Kaleck said. 

The lawyers called on the Berlin administrative court to suspend the export licenses as a provisional legal protection measure. 

The German government has said it examines each arms export individually and takes a number of factors into account, including human rights and humanitarian law. 

In February, a group of German lawyers representing families in Gaza filed a criminal complaint against German officials for allegedly aiding and abetting genocide against the Palestinian people by providing Israel with weapons. 

Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth €326.5m (£278.8m), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase compared with 2022.

We reported earlier that France has warned its citizens not to travel to Iran, Lebanon, Israel or the Palestinian territories (see 11.07am post). 

Now India has advised its citizens against traveling to Iran and Israel until further notice in view of the "prevailing situation in the region", the foreign ministry said on Friday. 

It said Indians in the two countries should observe "utmost precautions about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum".

More images have come in showing the vast destruction in the city of Khan Younis, days after the Israeli military withdrew the majority of its forces from Gaza. 

Residents were left stunned and distraught as they slowly returned to their homes this week - only to find large parts of the city in ruins.

Despite the ground assault ending, airstrikes have continued in the past few days across Gaza.

Israeli forces have shot dead two Palestinians, including a member of the armed wing of Hamas, near Tubas in the occupied West Bank on Friday following a raid on the town earlier in the morning, the military said. 

It said Mohammad Omar Daraghmeh, whom it described as the head of Hamas infrastructure in the Tubas area of the Jordan Valley, was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces. 

Hamas confirmed Daraghmeh's death and his membership of its armed al Qassem Brigades. 

The Palestinian news agency WAFA said another man was killed by Israeli forces conducting a raid in the al Fara refugee camp in Tubas.

Hamas said it mourned the man's death but did not claim him as a member.

The Israeli military said the first humanitarian aid trucks entered through a newly opened northern crossing point on Thursday.

Israel said the trucks were inspected at the Kerem Shalom crossing point on the border with Egypt before moving north to cross.

Israel had said earlier this month it would re-open the Erez crossing point that had been closed since the start of the war with Hamas last October. 

The country has said it would step up supplies in the face of mounting pressure to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Israel is preparing for a "direct" attack from Iran as soon as today or Saturday, it is being reported.

US news outlet the Wall Street Journal cited a person "familiar with the matter". However, the newspaper said a source briefed by the Iranian leadership said that while plans were being discussed, no final decision on the attack has been made.

It also reported that the attack could be within Israel's borders, as opposed to Israeli interests elsewhere.

Iran has vowed to avenge last week's strike on its embassy in Damascus, Syria, which killed top Iranian military officials - although it is reported to have made clear to US officials that any response will be non-escalatory.

France's foreign ministry has issued a recommendation for French citizens not to travel to Iran, Lebanon, Israel or the Palestinian Territories. 

The ministry said it was also bringing back the relatives of Iran-based diplomats and that French civil servants were now banned from conducting any missions in Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

For context: Tensions have ratcheted up in region - which is already strained by the Gaza war - in the wake of an attack last week on the Iranian embassy in Syria. 

The airstrike on 1 April in Damascus killed a top Iranian general and six other Iranian military officers.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Israel "must be punished and it shall be", adding that it was tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil.

Elsewhere, Argentina's highest criminal court has found that Iran planned the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre headquarters in Buenos Aires.

It also concluded that Lebanon’s Hezbollah group then carried out the attack, which killed 85 people and wounded 300. 

Argentina's Court of Cassation said the attack came in retaliation for Argentina reneging on a nuclear cooperation deal with Tehran. 

Alleging Iran's "political and strategic" role in the bombing, the court paved the way for victims' families to bring lawsuits against the country. 

In the past three decades, Iran has not turned over citizens convicted in Argentina. 

Sky's international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn explains how Iran may retaliate after Israel hit the country's embassy in Syria last week.

Tensions in the Middle East have been growing since the deadly Damascus attack, which killed a top Iranian military general.

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Turkey seizes its third largest cocaine haul. Experts say the country is becoming a drug transit hub

Turkey's interior minister says police have seized the third largest haul of cocaine in the country’s history

ISTANBUL -- Turkish police have seized the third largest haul of cocaine in the country’s history, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Thursday, as groups monitoring organized crime warned that the country was becoming an entry point for drugs reaching Europe.

Some 608 kilograms (1,340 pounds) of cocaine, most of it in liquid form, were confiscated in an operation across three provinces, Yerlikaya posted on the social media platform X. Nearly 830 kilograms (1,830 pounds) of precursor chemicals used to process the drug were also seized.

Yerlikaya said the police operation targeted an international gang allegedly led by a Lebanese-Venezuelan national, who was among four foreign members of the “organized crime group" detained, along with nine Turks.

“The amount of cocaine seized in the … operation was the third largest amount of cocaine seized at one time in Turkey," the minister added.

Groups monitoring organized crime say Turkey is growing as a transit hub for cocaine coming from South America to Europe as security at ports such as Rotterdam in the Netherlands becomes tighter.

In a report dated October last year, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said a 44% rise in cocaine seizures in Turkey between 2021 and 2022 was not reflected in data on domestic consumption, “suggesting that the country is likely to serve as a drug corridor.”

Officials made Turkey's largest seizure - 1.1 tons of cocaine hidden in a consignment of bananas from Ecuador - at the Mediterranean port of Mersin in 2021.

Since coming to office in June last year, Yerlikaya has overseen a clampdown on organized crime in Turkey to counter claims the country has become a haven for foreign gangsters.

He regularly posts details of the latest police operation to target drug traffickers, fraudsters and other criminals.

Thursday’s social media post included a video, overlaid with dramatic music, showing apparent surveillance footage, large plastic containers and a pressing machine.

The operation was led by anti-narcotics officers based in Kocaeli, which lies southeast of Istanbul, but also included investigations in Tekirdag to Istanbul’s northwest and in the Mediterranean province of Antalya.

The gang used vineyards in Tekirdag and Antalya to store chemicals and process the cocaine, which had been disguised in fertilizer, according to Yerlikaya. A shotgun was also recovered by police, he added.

“We will not tolerate poison traffickers, organized crime groups and gangs, whether national or international,” the minister wrote.

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Turkey Restricts Exports to Israel in Protest of War in Gaza

Turkey announced limits on dozens of products, including cement and jet fuel, prompting Israel to threaten retaliatory trade measures.

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By Cassandra Vinograd

reporting from Jerusalem

• April 9, 2024

Turkey said on Tuesday that it would restrict exports to Israel until there is a cease-fire in Gaza, prompting threats of a tit-for-tat response from a government with which it has long had tense relations.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has defended Hamas and lashed out at Israel over the war in Gaza, accusing it of deliberately attacking civilians. But his government had until Tuesday stopped short of taking concrete economic measures against Israel over the conflict.

Turkey’s Trade Ministry said it was imposing restrictions covering dozens of exports — including aluminum, steel products, cement and jet fuel — after Israel denied a Turkish government request to airdrop humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“This decision will remain in place until Israel declares a cease-fire in Gaza and allows the flow of a sufficient amount of uninterrupted aid to the Gaza Strip,” the ministry said in a statement.

The announcement drew an angry response from Israel’s foreign minister, who accused Mr. Erdogan of “sacrificing the economic interests” of Turkey’s people in the name of supporting Hamas.

“Israel will not capitulate to violence and blackmail and will not overlook the unilateral violation of the trade agreements and will take parallel measures against Turkey that will harm the Turkish economy,” the minister, Israel Katz, said in a statement.

Turkey’s exports to Israel were worth $5.4 billion in 2023, or 2.1 percent of its total exports, according to official data.

Turkey has long had turbulent relations with Israel, though in recent years there had been some signs of a thaw: In 2022, Turkey welcomed Israel’s president to Ankara, the first visit by an Israeli head of state since 2008. Mr. Erdogan met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel for the first time last September.

Less than a month after that meeting, Hamas led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that set off the war in Gaza.

Under Mr. Erdogan, Turkey has often hosted members of Hamas, some of whose leaders were in the country for meetings on Oct. 7. The Turkish leader has strongly criticized Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, putting him sharply at odds with his NATO allies.

But the rising death toll and dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza have prompted increasing criticism from Israel’s allies over how the war is being conducted.

President Biden threatened last week to condition future U.S. support for Israel on how it addresses his concerns about civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis. This week, the foreign minister of France told French news media that imposing sanctions might be one way of putting more pressure on Israel to open humanitarian corridors to Gaza.

Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

The Israeli military announced what it called a precise operation to kill members of Hamas in Gaza , a day after a strike there killed three sons  of one of the most senior leaders of the group.

Hamas said that it did not have 40 living hostages in Gaza  who met specific criteria for an exchange with Israel under a proposed cease-fire deal, raising fears that more hostages may be dead than previously believed.

There has been no apparent work done yet on increasing aid to Gaza  by opening an additional border crossing from Israel and accepting shipments at a nearby Israeli port, but Israel said that both changes remain in the works.

Psychedelics and Trauma: Thousands of festival-goers were using mind-altering substances when Hamas-led fighters attacked on Oct 7. Now, scientists are studying the effects of such drugs at a moment of trauma .

Turmoil at J Street: The war in Gaza has raised serious concerns within the Jewish political advocacy group about its ability to hold a middle position  without being pulled apart by forces on the right and the left.

Challenging Democratic Leaders: Protests over the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza are disrupting the activities of Democratic officials, complicating their ability to campaign during a pivotal election year .

Germany’s Upended Arts Scene: Berlin, the home of boundary-pushing artists from around the world, has been turned upside down by debates about what can and can’t be said about Israel and the war in Gaza .

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Turkey seizes 608kg of cocaine as ‘drug corridor’ fears grow

Groups monitoring organised crime warn that Turkey is becoming entry point for drugs reaching Europe

Turkish police have seized the third largest haul of cocaine in the country’s history, the interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, has announced, as groups monitoring organised crime warned that Turkey was becoming an entry point for drugs reaching Europe .

In an operation across three provinces, 608kg of mostly liquid cocaine was confiscated, Yerlikaya posted on X on Thursday. Nearly 830kg of precursor chemicals used to process the drug were also seized.

Yerlikaya said the police operation targeted an international gang allegedly led by a Lebanese-Venezuelan national, who was among four foreign members of the detained organised crime group, along with nine Turks.

“The amount of cocaine seized in the … operation was the third largest amount of cocaine seized at one time in Turkey ,” said the minister.

Groups monitoring organised crime say Turkey is growing as a transit hub for cocaine coming from South America to Europe as security at ports such as Rotterdam in the Netherlands becomes tighter.

In a report dated October last year, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said a 44% rise in cocaine seizures in Turkey between 2021 and 2022 was not reflected in data on domestic consumption, “suggesting that the country is likely to serve as a drug corridor”.

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The largest seizure of cocaine in Turkey – 1.1 tonnes hidden in a consignment of bananas from Ecuador – was made at the Mediterranean port of Mersin in 2021.

Yerlikaya, since coming to office in June last year, has been keen to be seen to be clamping down on organised crime in Turkey to counter claims the country has become a haven for foreign gangsters. He regularly posts details of the latest police operation to target drug traffickers, fraudsters and other criminals.

Thursday’s social media post included a video, overlaid with dramatic music, showing apparent surveillance footage, large plastic containers and a pressing machine.

The operation was led by anti-narcotics officers based in Kocaeli, which lies south-east of Istanbul, but also included investigations in Tekirdağ to Istanbul’s north-west and in the Mediterranean province of Antalya. The gang used vineyards in Tekirdağ and Antalya to store chemicals and process the cocaine, which had been disguised in fertiliser, according to Yerlikaya. A shotgun was also recovered by police, he added. “We will not tolerate poison traffickers, organised crime groups and gangs, whether national or international,” the minister wrote.

• Drugs trade

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When is Eid al-Fitr 2024 and how is it celebrated?

The three-day festival celebrates the completion of the fasting month of Ramadan by Muslims across the world.

As a new moon was not sighted on Monday evening after Maghrib prayers, Muslims in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries will fast one more day, completing 30 days of Ramadan. The first day of Eid will then be celebrated on Wednesday, April 10.

The first day of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon marking the start of the month of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar.

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Lunar months last between 29 and 30 days so Muslims usually have to wait until the night before Eid to verify its date.

Other countries follow independent sightings.

When the sighting has been verified, Eid is declared on television, radio stations and at mosques.

How do Muslims celebrate Eid?

Traditionally, Eid is celebrated for three days as an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries. However, the number of holiday days varies by country.

Muslims begin Eid day celebrations by partaking in a prayer service that takes place shortly after dawn, followed by a short sermon.

On their way to the prayer, which is traditionally held in an open area, Muslims recite takbeerat, praising God by saying “Allahu Akbar”, meaning “God is great”.

It is customary to eat something sweet before the prayer, such as date -filled biscuits known as maamoul in the Middle East. This particular festival is known as the “sweet” Eid – and the distribution of sweets is common across the Muslim world.

Muslims usually spend the day visiting relatives and neighbours and accepting sweets as they move around from house to house.

Each country has traditional desserts and sweets that are prepared before Eid or on the morning of the first day.

Children, dressed in new clothes, are offered gifts and money to celebrate the joyous occasion.

Girls and women in many countries decorate their hands with henna. The celebration for Eid begins the night before as women gather in neighbourhoods and large family gatherings for the application of henna.

In some countries, families visit graveyards to offer their respects to departed family members right after the morning prayers.

It is common for Muslim-majority countries to decorate their cities with lights and hold festivities to commemorate the end of the fasting month.

Eid amid the onslaught in Gaza

For some 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza this Eid, this will be the first Muslim religious holiday after more than 33,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks. With little food aid, and very limited water, Gaza’s Eid al-Fitr will be mired in destruction amid the continuing attacks.

What are common Eid greetings?

The most popular greeting is “Eid Mubarak” (Blessed Eid) or “Eid sa’id” (Happy Eid). Eid greetings also vary depending on the country and language.

The video below shows how people say Eid Mubarak in different languages around the world.