Is It Safe to Travel to Turkey in 2026?
Turkey - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Last updated: · Source: U.S. Department of State
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a smaller part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; Iraq, Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south; and the Aegean Sea, Greece, and Bulgaria to the west.
Is It Safe to Travel to Turkey in 2026?
Turkey is currently rated Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution by the U.S. Department of State. Exercise increased caution to Türkiye due to terrorism, armed conflict, and arbitrary detentions. Do not travel to southeast Türkiye due to risk of terrorism and armed conflict. The U.S. Consulate Adana has suspended all consular services.
Key concerns cited in the advisory:
- terrorism
- civil_unrest
The overall security situation has been worsening recently. Contributing factors: increased risk of terrorism and armed conflict, arbitrary detentions are a risk for U.S. citizens, ordered departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees.
Active restrictions in Turkey:
- Movement restrictions in effect
- Security escort may be required
U.S. government employees are subject to travel restrictions in the entire southeast region.
Traveler Impact
Solo travelers face significant risks of arbitrary detention and potential terrorist attacks, particularly in southeastern regions where travel is strongly discouraged.
Business travelers may encounter operational disruptions due to civil unrest and arbitrary detentions, especially in the southeast where consular services are suspended.
Families with children should be cautious due to the risk of terrorism and limited healthcare access in the southeast, where travel is not recommended.
Remote workers may find urban areas like Istanbul suitable for work, but should be cautious of movement restrictions and potential unrest.
Data on this page comes from the U.S. Department of State, the CDC, the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, and Freedom House. All sources are updated regularly and cross-referenced to provide a composite safety picture for Turkey.
Regional Safety Breakdown
Do Not Travel Zones
The U.S. State Department advises against all travel to the following areas due to extreme risk:
- Southeast Türkiye
- Adana
- Adiyaman
- Batman
- Bingol
- Bitlis
- Diyarbakir
- Elazig
- Gaziantep
- Hakkari
- Hatay
- Icel
- Kilis
- Kahramanmaras
- Malatya
- Mardin
- Mus
- Osmaniye
- Siirt
- Sanliurfa
- Sirnak
- Tunceli
- Van
▶Level 4 — Do Not Travel23 regions
▶Adana
▶Adiyaman
▶Batman
▶Bingol
▶Bitlis
▶Diyarbakir
▶Elazig
▶Gaziantep
▶Hakkari
▶Hatay
▶Icel
▶Kahramanmaras
▶Kilis
▶Malatya
▶Mardin
▶Mus
▶Osmaniye
▶Sanliurfa
▶Siirt
▶Sirnak
▶Southeast Türkiye
Do not travel to southeast Türkiye due to risk of terrorism and armed conflict.
▶Tunceli
▶Van
Turkey has 23 distinct regions with varying advisory levels. Risk conditions differ significantly by area.
▶Safety and Stability Ratings
Threat Severity (0-10 scale)
Turkey has an overall threat severity of 4.5 out of 10. Crime risk is rated 5.0/10, terrorism risk 6.0/10, and kidnapping risk 0.0/10.
Governance Indicators (World Bank, percentile)
Political Stability▶
Measures the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated violence and terrorism. Higher percentile means greater stability.
Rule of Law▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, including the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
Control of Corruption▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, including both petty and grand forms of corruption, as well as capture of the state by elites and private interests.
Government Effectiveness▶
Captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies.
Regulatory Quality▶
Captures perceptions of the ability of the government to formulate and implement sound policies and regulations that permit and promote private sector development.
Voice & Accountability▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which a country's citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media.
Data from World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (2023).
Freedom Status: Not Free — scored 33/100 by Freedom House (2024). View full freedom profile →
▶Entry Requirements and Health
Entry Information
Visa
Check embassy for details
Currency
Turkish Lira (TRY)
Language
Turkish
Notable restrictions:
- drug possession illegal including medical marijuana
- e-cigarettes prohibited
Vaccinations
Recommended:
Active health notices:
- watchGlobal Measles: Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel.
Vaccination data sourced from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Consult a travel health professional before your trip.
Common Questions About Traveling to Turkey
▶What is the current travel advisory level for Turkey?
▶Is it safe to travel to Turkey right now?
▶Do I need a visa to visit Turkey?
▶What vaccines do I need for Turkey?
▶Is Turkey safe for solo travelers?
▶How bad is crime in Turkey?
More Turkey Data
Not Free — 33/100 on the Freedom House index.
Governance indicators including rule of law, corruption control, and regulatory quality.
View all 195 countries color-coded by advisory level.
Read the full advisory on travel.state.gov.
Access this data programmatically. Free tier available.
On-demand country risk PDFs from 6 government sources.