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Blazing wildfires have sparked travel chaos in Turkey, days after flights were cancelled and airspace was closed across the Middle East following Israel’s attack on Iran.
All flights at Adnan Menderes Airport, which serves the popular coastal city of Izmir, were grounded on Sunday around 4pm local time.
The departure board showed a list of suspended and cancelled routes, including several on Sun Express Airlines, Turkish Airlines and the Irish carrier Aer Lingus.
Turkey’s golden beaches and ancient cities are some of the most popular choices for UK holidaymakers.
The country spanning Europe and Asia clocked 4.43 million visits from British tourists in 2024, with many drawn to coastal hotspots like Bodrum and Marmaris as well as the sprawling streets of Istanbul.
But now, travellers are looking at the map with concern over whether it is safe to travel there this summer.
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Where are the wildfires in Turkey?
Fires are raging on across Izmir Province, on Turkey’s Mediterranean west coast.
Photos on X and Instagram showed clouds of smoke over Izmir, as the sky turned orange with flames in an apocalyptic scene.
What does the Foreign Office say about visiting Turkey?
The UK Foreign Office has not advised against travelling to Turkey, and you can rest assured that most regions are safe and tourist-friendly.
The FCDO has not yet addressed the wildfires, but if it does, we’ll update this article.
In terms of regional tensions in the Middle East, while Turkey has not been affected by the current conflict, the UK has been warning against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria for many years.
As it stands, nine countries are on the Foreign Office’s ‘do not travel list’. You can find the full list here.
Unrelated to the strikes by Israel and Iran, Turkey has made headlines in recent days after two hot air balloons filled with tourists crashed to the ground in the world-famous Cappadocia region.
One person was killed and at least a dozen injured after a balloon carrying Indonesian tourists made a hard landing near the village of Karataş.
Can I claim a refund for my holiday if I don’t want to go?
The Foreign Office has not advised against travel to Turkey. Because of this, there is no prospect of being able to cancel a trip for a full refund.
Travel insurance is unlikely to help, either. Insurers will argue there is no reason not to go.
As Grant Winter, compliance officer at specialist travel insurance provider Goodtogo, tells Metro: ‘No airline is obligated to refund you for a flight you choose not to take.’
So, if you choose not to travel, you’re likely to lose some – or even all – of your money.
Are there wildfires anywhere else in Europe?
A scorching heatwave is sweeping southern Europe just as the summer holiday season begins.
A blaze broke out in Aude, near the French city of Toulouse, on Sunday, ravaging some 400 hectares of land. Authorities believe the fire was caused by a poorly extinguished barbecue, and a suspect has been arrested.
It was a similar story on the Greek island of Chios last week, where a wildfire tore through 11,000 acres of bush and pasture land.
A housekeeper was arrested for unintentional arson after witnesses allegedly saw her drop a cigarette.
Elsewhere on the continent, Spain, Portugal and Italy are sweltering through temperatures of well over 40°C.
Hot air from North Africa, which is spreading across the Balkans to the continent’s most popular tourist destinations, is contributing to soaring temperatures.
Several Italian regions, including Sicily and Liguria, have introduced bans on outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day.
Is it safe to travel to Dubai, Jordan and other holiday destinations around the Middle East?
In the wake of Israel’s attack on Iran on June 13, and the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites that followed, flights were cancelled and airspaces closed.
On social media, anxious travellers voiced concern about the violence spilling over to Cyprus, Jordan and UAE hotspots such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The situation has calmed since last week, but in an update on the Foreign Office pages for several destinations, the UK continues to warn that ‘ongoing hostilities’ have the potential to ‘deteriorate quickly’.
They are:
- The UAE (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
- Qatar
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
Meanwhile for Jordan, the Foreign Office reiterates the risk of ongoing hostilities in the region between Iran and Israel.
It says travellers should monitor local news channels and follow the instructions of local authorities. If you hear air raid sirens, the guidance says you should take shelter and stay away from windows.
Before you travel, the Foreign Office advises you to contact your airline and, if you have one, your travel insurer.
Meanwhile in Cyprus, which is just 472km from Israel and Palestine, people have described seeing streaks of light crossing the night sky over the island.
Some said they believed they had witnessed missile interception from Larnaca, but the blurry, low-resolution video shared in the post was impossible to verify.
Regardless, the UK Foreign Office has not issued an official warning suggesting that Cyprus is unsafe for visitors.
Current guidance reads: ‘Ongoing hostilities in the region and between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region.’
The Foreign Office advises travellers already on the island to monitor local and international media for updates, and follow the instructions of local authorities.
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