It seems the only change in advice given by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a reference to ANZAC Day in Gallipoli.
Written in bold, at the start of the Turkey travel advice page is:
Australians are advised to defer non-essential travel to Turkey until further notice. We continue to receive information suggesting that further terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Ankara and other centres in Turkey are likely.
Australians considering travel to Turkey for Anzac Day services at Gallipoli on 25 April 2004 are urged to consult the Travel Bulletin for Anzac Day (see below).
Australians in Turkey should exercise extreme caution, particularly in commercial and public areas, and keep themselves informed of developments that might affect their safety.
Australians should also exercise particular care in south-eastern Turkey, especially in the border region between Turkey and Iraq.
Oh well, pity to those who do not come to Turkey because of what DFAT has written. I feel completely safe here. The only way the above advice affects me is (probably) voiding my insurance cover. My travel insurance runs out in June and if the Australian government is still recommending against all non-essential travel to Turkey I doubt I will extend the policy. Instead, I would buy shorter policies when travelling outside Turkey to ‘safer’ countries without travel warnings like Iran.
Having written the above, I am not stupid enough to ignore all warnings completely. Should there be a serious risk of anything happening (besides traffic accidents or illnesses from over-generous hospitality 🙂 I would reassess my situation.
