Turkey issues US travel warning

Turkey's foreign ministry says there have been an increase in terror attacks and violent incidents in the United States recently.

Turkish Foreign Ministry building is shown in this undated file photo.
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Turkish Foreign Ministry building is shown in this undated file photo.

Turkey's foreign ministry issued a travel warning to its citizens travelling to the United States against terror acts and arbitrary arrests in the country, saying they should revise travel plans and take precautions if they do decide to travel.

On its website on January 11, the ministry also said there had been an increase in terror attacks and violent incidents in the United States recently.

The statement said: "It has been observed that there have been increasing cases of terror and violent acts in the United States."

The ministry mentioned recent attacks at Ohio University's campus, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, Dar al Farooq Mosque in Minnessota and a church in Texas. 

It added that the recent New York City subway pipe bomb terrorist attack was "an example of far-right/racist incidents."

The ministry also pointed out the "arbitrary arrests" of Turkish citizens, including public servants travelling to the US for official duty.

Earlier this month, a US jury found a Turkish banker guilty of helping Iran evade US sanctions in a case which has strained diplomatic relations between the NATO allies and which Turkey has dismissed as politically motivated.

The warning came after a US travel advisory for Turkey.

On January 10, a travel advisory was announced by the United States, urging US citizens to reconsider travel to Turkey "due to terrorism and arbitrary detentions."

It was posted on the website of the US Department of State which lists countries in the world under four standard levels of advice, depending on each country's security conditions. 

The third category – in which Turkey is situated along with Pakistan, Sudan, Venezuela, Russia and Guatemala – urges US citizens to reconsider travelling to these countries.

The fourth category strictly advises US citizens to avoid travel to the country and includes Yemen, Somalia, Mali, South Sudan and Syria.

Turkey summoned US Charge d'Affairs Philip Kosnett in Ankara on January 11 to voice its anger over the categorisation of Turkey as a country with an "increased security risk" along with Sudan, Pakistan and Guatemala.

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