There are no restrictions on visiting Turkey, but you should not go to the regions affected by the earthquake.
Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bondar said this at a briefing.
“Not to sow panic. Visiting Turkey does not mean visiting the regions affected by the earthquake. Airports in Istanbul, Ankara, and other cities in the central and western parts of Turkey are operating as usual and there are no threats to the citizens of Ukraine. However, in most of the territories affected – the south and southeast, there is no need to go – rescuers are working there,” he said.
Regarding the situation in Turkey, Bondar noted that 13 million of the country’s 85 million population were affected by the earthquake and lost their homes. The ambassador reported that, according to preliminary data, some 6,500 houses were destroyed, but these are not final figures yet.
“There are cities that have been completely or partially destroyed, part of the roads have been destroyed and it is impossible to reach some settlements. The general picture is quite scary. According to various estimates, this most likely exceeds the consequences of the Izmit earthquake in Turkey in 1999, where more than 17 thousand people died.”, the ambassador said.
He noted that the aftershocks continued for the second day – there were more than 250 aftershocks in total. According to him, even yesterday in Ankara, which is located 500-600 kilometers from the earthquake’s epicenter, tremors were felt on the upper floors.