Is it safe to travel to Turkey now? Latest Foreign Office advice after earthquake kills one and injures 70

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

At least one person is dead after a huge earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale rocked Turkey this morning.
The natural disaster struck the popular resort town of Marmaris, shaking hotels and forcing people to be evacuated from their rooms as they waited for possible aftershocks.
British tourists described the shock tremor as 'petrifying' and reported being thrown from their beds by the force of the quake.
Following the quake, TUI sent an urgent alert to holidaymakers in the region, instructing them to remain calm and to follow the advice of local authorities.
While the UK Foreign Office has yet to update their official guidance on travel to and from Turkey, they have issued general advice around earthquakes.
The FCDO says if an earthquake strikes, you should immediately drop to the ground, cover your head and try to hold onto something stationary.
If you are located near the ocean, the advice is to move to higher ground as soon as possible.
Current advice says: 'The area around the Cycladic islands of Santorini (Thira), Anafi, Ios and Amorgos, experienced increased earthquake activity in early 2025. This increase has since subsided and the tourist season is expected to continue as usual.'
In relation to Turkey, it continues: 'Many parts of Turkey regularly experience earthquakes and tremors.
'These can be high magnitude, cause damage to infrastructure, and pose a risk to life. A 6.2-magnitude earthquake which occurred in the Sea of Marmara in April 2025, was felt strongly in Istanbul. Be aware of the risk of aftershocks.'
It adds: 'Follow advice from local authorities, tour operators and accommodation providers. See the US Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance about what to do, before, during and after an earthquake.'
Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said the earthquake started in the Mediterranean Sea at 2.17am.
It was so powerful that the shockwaves were felt in Greece, with people awoken from their sleep on the island of Rhodes and holidaymakers at some hotels also being told to evacuate.
A 14-year-old girl died following a panic attack and some 70 people were hurt in the Mugla province as they rushed to find safety, including 'some who jumped from a height', Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.
'The quake struck at 2:17 am (2317 GMT on Monday) some 10 kilometres (six miles) off the coast of Marmaris,' the AFAD disaster agency said.
'In Fethiye, a 14-year-old girl named Afranur Gunlu was taken to the hospital due to a panic attack but, unfortunately, despite all interventions, she passed away,' Yerlikaya said. Fethiyeh lies around 60 miles to the east of Marmaris.
CCTV footage shows people inside a restaurant sprinting to get outside, with one man seen jumping over the wall
Video footage of the moment the quake struck shows people running out of restaurants and hotels into the street.
Residents and tourists rushed to get into the open air, with many seen gathering in parks and the streets in the early hours of the morning to avoid any falling debris.
Of those injured, 14 were treated at the scene, eight were briefly treated then discharged and another 46 were being treated in hospital, he said.
There were no initial reports of buildings destroyed in residential areas, Yerlikaya said.
Many popular seaside resorts are located in Mugla province, including Marmaris, Bodrum and Fethiye, which welcomed 3.7 million foreign visitors in 2024, the Anatolu state news agency said.
The earthquake was also 'broadly felt' in Greece's Dodecanese islands, the national quake protection authority chief Efthymios Lekkas told the enikos.gr news portal, saying some tourists in Rhodes had been forced to evacuate their hotels.
But there were no reports of injuries, he said.
Travel firm TUI advised tourists in the region to 'remain calm and follow any safety instructions provided by your accommodation or local officials.'
A pair of cats were seen on camera leaping into the air as the powerful quake hit
The quake was also felt in Egypt, according to the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics.
The earthquake struck six miles away from the Marmaris at a depth of 42 miles, experts estimated.
Aftershocks of up to magnitude 5 were initially anticipated in Turkey, though it appears the risk of these has passed.
Greek seismologist Efthimios Lekkas told local outlet ERT News that the earthquake's depth - below the earth's crust - meant it could be felt across a wider area and was 'very intense' in Rhodes.