ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The UK updated its advice for travelers on Wednesday, warning its citizens against all travel in Turkey within 10 km of the Syrian border.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised “against all but essential travel to all other areas of Sirnak, Kilis (including Kilis city) and Hatay provinces” and against “visiting the provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Hakkari.”
British nationals made over 2.3 million visits to Turkey in 2018. It is unclear why the FCO updated its policy.
So far, the US presence and diplomatic efforts in Syria have contributed to preventing a Turkish attack into areas of northeast of Syria controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In January 2018, Turkey and Turkish-backed armed groups attacked the Kurdish-majority region of Afrin, with Russian permission. Since March 2018 the area has been under Turkish control.
Irregular clashes between Kurdish forces and Turkish-backed militias continue in Afrin, including one on Tuesday in which a Turkish soldier was killed.
Ankara has not carried out any new attacks on areas held by the SDF since it took control of Afrin in March, but it has repeatedly threatened to invade the remainder of Kurdish-controlled territory in Syria where US forces serve alongside the SDF.
While the northeast of Syria is under SDF control, the majority of the northwest of Syria is controlled by Turkish-backed groups, not including Idlib, which is controlled by the jihadist group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Syrian government forces and Syrian militant groups have also clashed multiple times in Idlib, located on the border of Turkey.
Wednesday’s statement also warned British tourists of potential attacks by militant groups, “including Kurdish groups, Daesh [Islamic State] and far left organisations.”
“It’s illegal to be a member or supporter of a terrorist organisation in Turkey, including expressions of support on social media,” it continued. “Some organisations in the region though not proscribed in the UK, such as the YPG and the Gülen Movement are illegal in Turkey.”
Turkey considers the YPG as part of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has engaged in a decades-long war with the Turkish government for broader Kurdish rights.
The UK as part of the US-led coalition has provided military support to YPG-led forces in Syria against the Islamic State.
Editing by John J. Catherine