How Does the Earthquake in Turkey Affect your Travel Plans?

A young Turkish girl being pulled out from under the rubble of fallen buildings from the recent earthquake in Gaziantepe — *A young girl is being pulled from the rubble. This picture was sent to me by a friend who joined ground operations to help earthquake victims*

Turkey has been struck by a string of devastating earthquakes on February 6th, early Monday morning. In light of this disastrous tragedy, you may be wondering how does the earthquake in Turkey affect your travel plans.

How has the earthquake impacted Turkey?

At 4:17AM Monday morning, the earthquake first hit with a massive 7.8 magnitude tremor. This marks the worst earthquake in more than a century.

The second tremor hit that same day at 1:25PM with a similarly strong 7.5 magnitude tremor.

Currently, the death toll is at 40,000.

Every day the death count is rising as more bodies are discovered beneath the rubble.

Although the number is harrowing, if you’ve already bought tickets to Turkey you may be wondering what’s the next step. Should you cancel your tickets or go ahead with your travel plans?

The world is mourning this disastrous loss of life. The government has responded asking tourists to not come to the affected regions.

Check below to see the areas in Turkey that are affected by the earthquake to determine how does the earthquake in Turkey affect your travel plans.

The Impacted Areas of Turkey

The earthquake has only affected certain areas of Turkey. Reaching these regions is almost impossible as military and philanthropic groups have taken control of these areas.

The following regions in Turkey you should avoid:

Hatay/Osmaniye
Diyarbakakir/Sanliurfa
Adiyaman
Gaziantepe
Kahramanmaras
Kilis
Malatya
Adana

The cities of Istanbul and Ankara are far away from the affected areas. Coastal towns along the Aegean Sea are also part of the regions in Turkey that were not affected by the earthquake.

The following airports have been affected:

Gaziantep Oguzeli International Airport (GZT)
Hatay Airport (HTY)
Adana Sakirpasa Airport (ADA)

The following are affected historical sites

Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens: Buildings from this 2,000 year-old UNESCO Heritage Site have collapsed
Citadel of Aleppo: The medieval palace has severe damage to one of it’s major structures the Citadel of Aleppo
Ancient Syrian City of Aleppo: UNESCO agents have named the damage “especially concerning”

How can you help the people of Turkey?

You can donate at the following NGO:

ahbap.org/disasters-turkey
- This organization is active on the ground providing supply aid and rescue relief. This is a credible source that is widely trusted for donations within Turkey.

Where can you travel to in Turkey?

Although the entirety of Turkey is emotionally affected by this devastating tragedy, there are still many cities that are open to tourists. In a time of financial strain like this, Turkeys’ tourism industry could use the extra funds, so don’t feel bad about continuing plans you’ve made.

Cities you can visit in Turkey after the earthquake

Istanbul

This city is still open to tourists. Click here to learn more about what to do in Istanbul.

Southwest Turkey: Bodrum, Kabak, Kas

Click here to learn more about what to do in these regions.

Ankara

Ankara is the capital city and has not been affected by the earthquake in Turkey.