Iranians looking to book a tour to Turkey should buy travel insurance in the wake of growing safety concerns in the neighboring country, according to a top diplomat in Istanbul.
Turkey’s tourism, which has been a pillar of its economy for years, has been badly hit by a series of terrorist attacks carried by the militant group Daesh and Kurdish rebels, topped off by a failed coup attempt in July.
Iran placed a ban on tours to Turkey following the coup, which had been instigated by a rogue faction of the military, but lifted it after a month following a trip to Ankara by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Some tour operators say the ban was lifted too early, citing Ankara’s announcement of a three-month long state of emergency in late July.
Pointing to the unrest in Turkey and people’s rising concerns about safety, Mohsen Mortezaeifar, Iran’s consul general in Istanbul, said tourists should opt to purchase travel insurance from tour operators.
“A single incident can cause a lot of damage, so tourists should be covered by insurance provided by travel agencies,” he told ISNA.
He said the Foreign Ministry has not issued any travel warnings or alerts about traveling to Turkey—which has raised questions in some circles—but noted that tourists “should not accept packages from anyone to bring back to Iran.”
Furthermore, in case of an attack, Iranian citizens must get in touch with an Iranian consulate as soon as possible, he added.
Addressing Mistreatments
About 1.8 million Iranians travel to Turkey every year, making Iran a top source country for tourists to the Near East nation.
Nevertheless, tourists have long complained about receiving suboptimal services at hotels and being mistreated by Turkish law enforcement at airports and border crossings, to no avail.
However, insiders say the ban has allowed Iran to leverage its position as a top source country for tourists to Turkey and Ankara’s stated willingness to expand tourism ties with Iran to help address problems that have long plagued Iranian travelers.
Masoud Soltanifar, head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, has vowed to pursue the matter with his Turkish counterpart Nabi Avci.
For his part, Mortezaeifar said “protecting our citizens’ rights” is a responsibility that the Foreign Ministry and its consulates in Turkey take seriously.
“If we’re approached by a tourist who’s been subjected to mistreatment by anyone, we get involved and demand compensation from Turkish authorities,” he said.
