Could Turkey be put on the UK’s quarantine list?

Numerous countries have now been removed from the UK’s travel corridor list, meaning that travellers returning to the UK from certain places abroad have to self-isolate for 14 days on their return (Photo: Shutterstock)Numerous countries have now been removed from the UK’s travel corridor list, meaning that travellers returning to the UK from certain places abroad have to self-isolate for 14 days on their return (Photo: Shutterstock)
Numerous countries have now been removed from the UK’s travel corridor list, meaning that travellers returning to the UK from certain places abroad have to self-isolate for 14 days on their return (Photo: Shutterstock)

Numerous countries have now been removed from the UK’s travel corridor list, meaning that travellers returning to the UK from certain places abroad have to self-isolate for 14 days on their return.

Greece has recently been removed from the travel corridor list for Scotland, but could the nearby country of Turkey be next on the list?

Here’s what you need to know.

Will Turkey go on the quarantine list?

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At the moment, travellers returning to the UK from Turkey do not have to undertake a self-isolation period of 14 days, and this is currently set to remain the case.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), there have been 19,900 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Turkey over the last 14 days.

How does this compare to the infection rate/ case number in Greece? And is there a UK govt threshold you could mention?

Turkey is currently exempt from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice against all non-essential international travel, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks.

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However, the following advice within Turkey, which was in place before coronavirus, remains in place.

The FCDO advise against all travel to:

  • areas within 10 km of the border with Syria, except the city of Kilis (see below)

The FCDO advise against all but essential travel to:

all other areas of Sirnak, Kilis (including Kilis city) and Hatay provincesthe provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Hakkari

What are the current entry restrictions for Turkey?

All arrivals into Turkey will be subject to a medical evaluation for symptoms of coronavirus, including temperature checks.

If you show symptoms on arrival, you’ll be required to undergo a PCR test coronavirus.

Do I have to wear a face mask?

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The FCDO explains that “The wearing of masks is obligatory throughout Turkey in crowded places and specifically in markets and supermarkets, hairdressers and barber shops.

“The wearing of masks is also compulsory on all public transport, including Metro, buses, taxis and ferries, and in some areas, masks must be worn when travelling in private vehicles with more than one person.”

In addition to the this, the wearing of face masks is mandatory at all times outside the home in the following provinces, which include major cities and some tourist areas:

Adıyaman, Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Amasya, Ankara, Ardahan, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bartın, Batman, Bilecik, Bingöl, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Çanakkale, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Düzce, Elazığ, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Giresun, Iğdır, Isparta, Istanbul, İzmir, Kahramanmaraş, Karabük, Kayseri, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Konya, Kütahya, Malatya, Mardin, Muğla, Muş, Nevşehir, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Siirt, Sinop, Sivas, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Tokat, Tunceli, Uşak, Yalova, Yozgat and Zonguldak.

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You should check whether your accommodation is in one of these provinces before you travel there.

Those who do not abide by this rule may be issued with a fine of 900 TL, which is approximately £106.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister title, The Scotsman.