Is Istanbul safe to travel to right now? Latest Foreign Office travel advice for popular European city as 'violent' protests break out across Turkey

Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets after the main challenger to the country’s president was arrested and charged with corruption. The detention of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is seen as the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations Turkey has seen in more than a decade.

There has been some violence, with police responding by using water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray, as well as firing plastic pellets at protestors in cities such as Istanbul, the capital Ankara and Izmir. Meanwhile, some demonstrators have been hurling stones, fireworks and other missiles at the riot police.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has warned travellers about demonstrations and protests currently taking place in Istanbul and other cities across Turkey. It currently does not advise against travelling to Istanbul.

The Foreign Office wrote: “Demonstrations may become violent. The police response has included the use of tear gas and water cannons.

“You should: monitor local media, plan ahead to avoid disruption, avoid crowds and demonstrations. Avoid all demonstrations and leave the area if one develops. Local transport routes may be disrupted”. Separately, the Foreign Office also advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism.

As the Foreign Office has not warned against non-essential travel due to the protests, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund. The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so it’s best to contact them if you’re looking to postpone.