Departures: Turkey troubles

TOUR operators specialising in holidays to Turkey say that the recent spate of Kurdish troubles has so far had no effect on holiday bookings.

At the end of June a bomb in Antalya, believed to have been planted by the Kurdistan Workers' Party, injured 26 tourists, including nine Germans, and last weekend it was revealed that a British engineer and his Australian cousin, who went missing on on a cycling holiday through Turkey, were being held by Kurdish separatist guerillas.

A spokeswoman for Thomson Holidays said that its holiday programme to Turkey was already mostly sold, with bookings up 90 per cent on last year. 'We have not been inundated with calls from people saying they wish to cancel.' Turkish specialist Sunquest said that it had been contacted by only one person seeking reassurance.

The consular department of the Foreign office (071-270 4129) warns British travellers that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has threatened to make the Turkish tourist industry a target for terrorist attacks. 'We do not advise against travel to Turkey (except to the South-east), but visitors should be vigilant at all times.

'In particular, there is widespread terrorism in South-east Turkey and in the Mount Ararat area of Eastern Turkey. Do not go there unless on essential business, in which case keep to main roads and towns, avoid travelling at dusk or after dark and advise the British Embassy in Ankara (4274312), or British Consulate General, Istanbul (2526436-40), of your travel plans.'