Good Idea: BiH MFA Issues Travel Warning for Turkey

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, seven days after the military coup in Turkey, has issued recommendations for BiH citizens traveling to Turkey, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

Although countries in the region did so only a few hours after the military coup in Turkey, the BiH authorities had a delayed reaction in this case as well.

- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore recommends citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina traveling to the Republic of Turkey to exercise caution during their travels, which includes avoiding places of mass gatherings for any reason, consistently adhering to the security recommendations provided by the Turkish authorities, as well as the recommendations provided by the management of tourist resorts where they are staying, if they are staying in the Republic of Turkey for tourism.

Due to the new situation in the Republic of Turkey, as well as the armed conflict in Syria, it is recommended that citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina refrain from traveling to and staying in areas within 10 kilometers of the Syrian border. The same restraint from travel and stay is recommended for all southeastern provinces, i.e., provinces bordering Iraq and Syria.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been informed by the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Ankara that the cities and towns where the largest number of our citizens usually visit were not affected by the unrest, and that airports, ports, and border crossings are open and traffic is proceeding smoothly. The Embassy also informs that public and private sector services and operations are functioning at an unimpeded capacity.

Although the situation in the Republic of Turkey is calming down and although the authorities of the Republic of Turkey are keeping security under control in the country, caution is still advised when traveling to the Republic of Turkey.

In this regard, citizens are further advised to contact their airlines and travel agencies before starting their journey to obtain current information about their trip and their stay at their destinations.

In case of need, citizens can contact the on-duty phone number of the Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate General in Istanbul.