The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a new warning after a number of people became seriously ill, or died, at a popular holiday destination. FCDO said a number of people have died in Turkey after drinking illegally produced local spirits.
New advice shared on Friday reads: “There has been an increase in the number of deaths and serious illnesses in Turkey, including in Ankara and Istanbul, caused by drinking illegally produced local spirits and counterfeit bottles of branded alcohol.” People who are in, or planning to travel to, Turkey are urged to take certain steps to protect themselves.
These include only purchasing alcohol from licensed shops, bars and hotels, checking bottle seals are intact, avoiding any bottles with poor quality labels and/or incorrect spellings, and avoiding homemade alcoholic drinks. If you or someone you are travelling with falls in after drinking alcohol, you should seek urgent medical attention.
The Foreign Office also continues to remind those travelling on a UK passport that your document must have an expiry date of at least 150 days after the date your arrive, and at least one full blank page. Guidance adds: “If entering at a land border, make sure officials stamp and date your passport at the border crossing.
“Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to. You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.”