The Turkish tourism ministry has sought to play down the impact of anti-government protests which have swept the country since last week.
In a message yesterday, the Turkish ministry of culture and tourism said there were “no problems” affecting transport or security in Istanbul or any other tourist area.
This came as the Foreign & Commonwealth Office continued to advise travellers to avoid all demonstrations due to the violent protests which have led to police using tear gas and water cannon
Demonstrations have also taken place in areas popular with British tourists, including Fethiye, Marmaris and Bodrum, though these have so far been mostly peaceful, as Travel Weekly reported yesterday.
At least two people are reported to have been killed in the unrest and thousands have been injured since the protests began on Friday.
In response, the Turkish tourism ministry admitted to protests in Istanbul and a number of other provinces regarding the redevelopment of Taksim’s Gezi Park in the city.
“There are currently no problems being experienced with either transport or security in Istanbul or any of our tourism regions and thus every sort of touristic activity is carrying on as normal,” a statement issued by the Turkish culture and tourism office in the UK.
“Flights in and out of Turkey have not been affected by these events and are running as scheduled.”
It added that the tourism ministry “continues to take every precaution regarding the safety of visitors to the country”.