The National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau (NSCCTB) released the following revised travel advisory for Turkey following the latest suicide bombing attack in that country on Saturday, March 19, 2016. Three Israelis were killed in the attack and some 12 Israelis were wounded.

“Recent months have seen a considerable upsurge in the threat level in Turkey, which has found expression in the significant magnitude of terrorist attacks, especially suicide attacks by the Kurdish underground and Daesh, throughout the country, notably in Istanbul and Ankara.

“Yesterday’s deadly attack in Istanbul, in which a group of Israeli tourists was hit, underscores the threat against tourist targets throughout Turkey.

“In the wake of an NSCCTB assessment of the situation, it was decided to update the existing travel warning vis-à-vis Turkey from an ongoing potential threat to a basic concrete threat, and to reiterate our recommendation to the public to avoid visiting the country.

“The updated travel warning is as follows:

“Following an assessment of the situation in wake of the worsening magnitude of terrorist attacks in Turkey, in centers of tourism and crowded areas, especially yesterday’s attack in Istanbul in which Israeli citizens were murdered and wounded, and due to the concern of additional attacks, the NSCCTB upgrades its existing travel warning and recommends that the public avoid visiting Turkey.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)