The highest – the fourth level of warning of danger was earned by Turkish Istanbul from the Israeli National Security Council. Tourists are directly ordered not to visit this region and leave it immediately if they are already there. Turkey is declared dangerous for tourists. The reason, according to Israeli media, is the terrorist threat from Iran. Other tourists are obviously not in danger, but the risk of being “handed out” by accident near the site of a possible terrorist attack is always there, so you should also be extremely careful and try to avoid crowds.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called on Israelis to return to Turkey immediately and cancel travel plans. “If you are already in Istanbul, return to Israel as soon as possible. If you are planning a trip to Istanbul – cancel it. No vacation is worth risking one’s life, “Israeli media quoted him as saying. He said Israeli and Turkish security forces had already warned of a conspiracy to kidnap and kill Israeli tourists.
Israeli media reported on several Israelis waiting for “Iranian killers” at a hotel. Tourists were warned of the immediate threat during shopping. “Several Israelis who visited Istanbul were deported from Turkey last week by Israeli intelligence agents, who acted on intelligence, showing that visitors were at immediate risk from Iranian assassins,” the Times of Israel said.
For example, a high-ranking Israeli official called a tourist visiting the market and told her not to return to her hotel because Iranian assassins were waiting for her and her husband. Instead, the tourists were sent to the airport under the protection of 10 Israeli security officers, who took the couple to the airport and then to Israel. No further details have been released about the couple, including whether they were individually selected as targets for some reason or threatened solely because they are Israelis.
It should be noted that Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called on Israelis to stay away from Turkey. Level four warnings have so far been “deserved” by only four countries – Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Iran. It should be noted that officially other parts of Turkey remained at the third level of warning – with recommendations to avoid visiting the country for insignificant reasons, including for tourism.