Health Alert – Mission Turkey – April 23

April  23, 2020    

Location: Turkey 

Event: Health Alert – Message to U.S. Citizens – COVID-19 Updates and Information on Travel

Update
Traveling to the Airport for Direct Flights to the United States: The Istanbul Airport Taxi Coop (Phone: +90 850 780 7734 or +90 533 315 7133) and the HAVAIST bus service (https://hava.ist/en) are providing local transit to the Istanbul airport during the curfew. Travelers must arrive at the airport at least four hours before their scheduled flight time, and should review all information on the Turkish Airlines website here: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-us/announcements/evacuation-flights-during-curfew/You do not need a travel permit to travel within Istanbul.

Frequency of Health Alerts: With the departure of three direct flights to the United States, we are planning to send Health Alerts only when there is significant new information, which may not be daily. If you need to reach us at any time, please email or call us at the contact information listed at the end of this message.

General Information:

Curfew: Much of Turkey is currently under a four-day curfew that started Thursday, April 23, and ends Sunday, April 26, at midnight.  Markets, bakeries, and grocery stores will be open limited hours on April 23 and 24, and customers are permitted to buy essentials within walking distance or have them delivered.  Motor vehicle use is not permitted except for those with disabilities.  Essential services including hospitals, pharmacies, and airports remain open.

Commercial Flights via Europe to the United States: Limited commercial flights to the United States transiting Europe are still operational.  

 

From Istanbul: Multiple flights per week on Belavia airlines via Minsk, connecting to the U.S. through Frankfurt or Amsterdam. You must book this flight through a travel agent to ensure your luggage is checked to the United States.

  • Alabanda – www.alabanda.com.tr, +90 312 440 56 00; info@alabanda.com.tr
  • BTO Bilimtur – www.btotravel.com, +90 312 468 75 80,  bto@btobilimtur.com.tr    
  • Midillis Travel and Tourism – www.midillis.com,  +90 212 458 08 00,  info@midillis.com  

 

Information about transiting Minsk, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt:

https://by.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
https://nl.usembassy.gov/health-alert-update-regarding-covid-19-u-s-consulate-general-amsterdam-netherlands-3/
https://de.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

From Izmir and Dalaman: Tuesday, 4/28: Pegasus has a flight from Izmir and Dalaman to London Stansted. Tickets are available for purchase on the airline website, https://www.flypgs.com/en. From Stansted airport, U.S. citizens must self-transfer to Heathrow, and must purchase onward tickets from Heathrow to the United States. Information about transiting London: https://uk.usembassy.gov/covid-19-coronavirus-information/

 

Actions to Take: 

 

Assistance:   

Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts
Follow the Embassy’s primary social media accounts: Twitter and Facebook