Is Turkey really unsafe for the tourists?

A large explosion in the Turkish capital, Ankara, left at least 28 people dead and 61 injured on February 17. A vehicle full of explosives was detonated as military buses were passing by, close to parliament and Turkey's military headquarters.

This follows a suicide bombing in the heart of Istanbul on January 12 when 10 tourists died.

Another attack in Ankara last October killed more than 100 people. Clashes have also increased between Turkish security officials and the PKK Kurdish militants.

The Foreign Office website states that although the Turkish authorities have successfully disrupted attack planning in the recent past, the threat from terrorism remains high. Terrorist groups, including Kurdish groups, Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL) and far left organisations, continue to plan and carry out attacks. As a result, further attacks are likely.

The majority of attacks are likely to continue to target the Turkish state. Nevertheless, it is likely that some attacks will also target western interests and tourism, as they did in Istanbul on 12 January 2016 when 10 tourists died in a suicide bombing. The Turkish Prime Minister has described the person who carried out this attack as a member of Daesh. To date the majority of attacks in Turkey have taken place in the south and east of the country and in Ankara and Istanbul.

The Turkish authorities have said that security has been tightened in response to the attack on tourists on 12 January 2016. Further attacks could be indiscriminate and could affect places visited by foreigners. Border crossings into Syria and nearby locations have also been targeted.