Is it safe to travel to Türkiye and Cyprus right now? Latest advice as Middle East conflict continues

Both Türkiye and Cyprus are popular holiday destinations thanks to their gloriously warm Mediterranean climates, but their proximity to the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran means it’s become a worrying time to travel to the region. 

Türkiye remains mostly unaffected so far, but it shares its eastern border with Iran, and after an attack on an RAF base in Cyprus on Sunday night, we’ve compiled a guide to everything you need to know about how the conflict is affecting travel to the two destinations, and if you’ll be able to rearrange your trip. 

Recommended: Is it safe to travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi? Latest advice after airports across the Middle East close. 

Is it safe to travel to Türkiye and Cyprus right now?

At the time of writing, the UK has not issued any new guidance against travelling to Türkiye, which excludes the longstanding advice to avoid all travel within 10km of the Syrian border. However, the BBC has reported that NATO shut down a missile headed towards Turkish airspace on Wednesday morning. The country also shares its eastern border with Iran.

The situation could worsen across the region, and so it is important to exercise caution. 

As for Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri was hit by a missile on Sunday evening, which meant the airport was evacuated and all British schools on the island were closed, according to The Sun. 

Have flights been cancelled? 

According to FlightRadar, flights to major Turkish airports (Istanbul, Antalya and Ankara) are mostly operating as normal, but they could well be subject to delays. 

‘Some of our flights to and from the following destinations have been cancelled: Bahrain, Dammam and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria and United Arab Emirates. The current situation in the region’s airspace is being monitored in real time, and additional flight cancellations may occur,’ said Turkish Airlines. 

The evacuation of Cyprus’s airport has meant that several airlines have cancelled flights over the last few days, including easyJet, British Airways, and TUI from British airports in Bournemouth, the East Midlands, Cardiff and Wales, as well as London Gatwick and Heathrow. 

‘We appreciate this may be disappointing news for those due to travel, and we are truly sorry for the disruption to our customers’ holiday plans.’ a TUI spokesperson said, ‘Our customer service teams are fully mobilised, and every affected customer will be contacted directly to discuss the options available to them. EasyJet has cancelled its London Gatwick flight to Larnaca today, as well as flights from Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh to Paphos today.’

Flights operated by Ryanair and Jet2 are still operating to Cyprus, at time of writing.

What is the UK Foreign Office saying? 

On the FCDO’s travel advice page for Cyprus, there’s an update which reads: ‘On 2 March 2026, the Sovereign Base Areas Administration confirmed a suspected drone impact at RAF Akrotiri.  British nationals in the Sovereign Base Areas should follow instructions from the Sovereign Base Areas Administration British Bases Cyprus Facebook  British nationals in the Republic of Cyprus should follow any instructions from Cypriot local authorities.’

Both the Cyprus and Türkiye sites have been updated with advice entitled ‘regional escalation’, which reads: ‘Regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption.

British nationals should: read ‘If you’re affected by a crisis abroad - GOV.UK’. This includes guidance on “how to prepare for a crisis” with suggestions on what you might include in your emergency supplies and “what to do in a crisis”; follow advice from the local authorities; sign up to FCDO Travel Advice email alerts; monitor local and international media for the latest information; stay away from areas around security or military facilities; keep your departure plans under review, and ensure your travel documents are up to date; if you are advised to take shelter, stay indoors or find the nearest safe building or designated shelter. An interior stairwell or a room with as few external walls or windows as possible may provide additional protection.’

What should you do if you have a trip booked?

As no travel advice explicitly warning against heading to Cyprus nor Türkiye has been published by the FCDO, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get a full refund on your trip if you decide not to go ahead with it. Similar rules apply to package holiday bookings. 

If, however, your flight has been cancelled by your airline, you are entitled to a full refund. Those with package holidays booked to destinations which are now not safe to travel to (that have or have not been automatically cancelled) will be entitled to a full refund or to claim compensation. As always, it’s best to speak directly with your travel provider to see what can be done.

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