Is Turkey in Europe? Do I need a visa to visit, full list surrounding countries - is it safe to travel to Antalya
As the popular holiday destination Turkey shares a border with Iran questions have been surfacing about safety of travelling to the country.
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country that lies partly in Asia and partly in Europe. Nearly all of the country is in Asia, comprising the oblong peninsula of Asia Minor—also known as Anatolia (Anadolu)—and, in the east, part of a mountainous region sometimes known as the Armenian Highland.
The remainder—Turkish Thrace (Trakya)—lies in the extreme southeastern part of Europe, a tiny remnant of an empire that once extended over much of the Balkans. Turkey is bounded on the north by the Black Sea, on the northeast by Georgia and Armenia, on the east by Azerbaijan and Iran, on the southeast by Iraq and Syria, on the southwest and west by the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea, and on the northwest by Greece and Bulgaria.
The capital is Ankara, and its largest city and seaport is Istanbul. British citizens can visit Turkey for up to 90 days in any 180 days without a visa.
If you need a visa for longer stays or if your nationality doesn't qualify for an e-visa, you'll need to apply for a sticker visa at a Turkish mission (embassy or consulate). The Foreign Office has issued a new travel warning for Turkey amid the war between Israel and Israel.
It says: “If you are a British national wanting to cross the land border from Iran into Turkey, you will need to request facilitation from the British Embassy in Ankara by contacting the FCDO before travelling to the border, indicating whether you are contacting from Iran or from the UK on behalf of a relative. You will need to provide personal details (name, date of birth, details of travel document used to enter Turkey). This is required by the Turkish authorities.
“The usual entry requirements will apply, including that British nationals can enter without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you intend to leave Iran overland, you do so at your own risk. In Iran, holding a British passport or having perceived connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”
The Foreign Office does not advise against travel to Turkey, so it is still safe to travel to the likes of Antalya and Istanbul. Holidaymakers are advised to keep up to date with Foreign Office announcements.