ISTANBUL: Turkey on Friday issued a travel warning urging its citizens to reconsider their travel plans to the United States, citing the risk of terror attacks and arbitrary detentions.

The move follows a US State Department advisory on Wednesday which urged Americans to reconsider visiting Turkey due to security concerns.

A statement by the Turkish foreign ministry -- using almost identical language to the original US advisory -- warns of an increase in terrorism and "risk of arbitry detention" in America.

Relations between the two NATO allies have become increasingly strained over a number of issues, including Turkey's detention of two Turkish employees of US diplomatic missions in the country.

Washington suspended visa services for Turkish citizens after Istanbul consulate staffer Metin Topuz was arrested in October over suspected links to a cleric blamed for Turkey's 2016 failed coup.

In a tit-for-tat move at the time, Turkey responded by suspending visa services.

That crisis was resolved in December when the US said it had won assurances from Ankara that no further legal proceedings would be launched against its staff, though Turkey insisted it had given no assurances.

Meanwhile, Turkey has since March 2017 been holding Hamza Ulucay, a veteran translator from the US consulate in Adana, on charges of links to Kurdish militants.

The two countries have also fallen out over the US's refusal to extradite US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey holds responsible for the 2016 coup attempt, and US military support for Kurdish rebels in Syria which Ankara considers a terrorist group.

The recent US State Department travel advisory listed a rigorous "Level 3" warning for Turkey, saying "some areas have increased risk".

It singled out areas along the Turkish-Syrian border and area where the Turkish army is fighting Kurdish militants, warning that US citizens could be accused of being linked to terror groups with "scant or secret evidence and grounds that appear to be politically motivated".

In return, the Turkish foreign ministry said Turkish public sector employees in the US had been detained on "baseless allegations."

Ankara reacted furiously to last week's conviction in New York of Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla on charges of violating sanctions against Iran.

Meanwhile several bodyguards of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been indicted in absentia over a fracas during his visit to the US last year.</s>Turkey on Friday cautioned its citizens about traveling to the United States, in retaliation for a new U.S. travel advisory that warned Americans about terror threats and arbitrary detentions in Turkey.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the U.S. travel warning "unfairly" portrayed Turkey as an unsafe country and did nothing to improve frayed ties between the NATO allies.

"Ankara is as safe as Washington, Istanbul is as safe as New York," Yildirim said.

The Turkish travel advisory urged citizens to reconsider travel plans to the United States, citing a series of terror attacks and violent incidents, including in Charlottesville, Ohio University and a mosque in Minnesota.

It also warned about "arbitrary arrests" in the U.S. — an apparent reference to a Turkish banker who was arrested in the U.S. and convicted of helping Iran avoid U.S. sanctions.

The travel warning came a day after the United States urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Turkey, saying "terror groups continue plotting possible attacks in Turkey." It also cited the risk of arbitrary detentions under an ongoing state of emergency "based on scant or secret evidence and grounds that appear to be politically motivated."

Ties between the allies have deteriorated over what many in Turkey perceive as a U.S. reluctance to extradite U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for a 2016 failed coup attempt. Gulen denies any involvement, and U.S. officials say the legal process is still ongoing.

Turkey is also angered at U.S. support for Syrian Kurdish militia that it considers to be "terrorists." The trial of the Turkish banker has also heightened tensions.

The U.S. last year temporarily suspended visa services to Turkish citizens following the arrest of a local Turkish employee of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul.</s>Turkey has warned its citizens against traveling to the United States due to terrorism and arbitrary detentions, advising nationals to take precautions if they do decide to travel.

 “Turkish citizens traveling to the United States may be subjected to arbitrary detentions based on testimonies of unrespected sources,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement dated Thursday.

 Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News website also quoted the ministry’s statement as saying that there had been an increase in terror attacks and violent incidents in the United States recently.

 “We observe an increasing number of terror plots and acts of violence in the United States,” the ministry said, referring to several deadly incidents there over the past few months.

 The travel warning came after the US Department of State this week made a similar warning to its citizens, saying Americans planning to visit Turkey should reconsider plans due to “terrorism and arbitrary detentions.”

 The latest developments could further strain the relationship between the two NATO allies, already tense over a number of issues.

 Ties between Ankara and Washington have been strained after the US arrested and convicted a Turkish banker for allegedly helping Iran evade US sanctions in a case which Turkey has dismissed as politically motivated.—Agencies</s>ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has warned its citizens against travel to the United States, saying Turks face the risk of arbitrary arrest and should take precautions if they do decide to travel.

The comments from the Turkish Foreign Ministry come after the U.S. Department of State this week made a similar warning to its citizens, saying Americans planning to visit Turkey should reconsider plans due to “terrorism and arbitrary detentions”.

Ties between Ankara and Washington, both NATO allies and members of the coalition against Islamic State, have been strained by the U.S. arrest and conviction of a Turkish banker in an Iran sanctions-busting case, a trial Turkey has dismissed as politically motivated.

“Turkish citizens traveling to the United States may be subjected to arbitrary detentions based on testimonies of unrespected sources,” the ministry said in a statement dated Thursday.

Ankara has said that the case against the banker was based on false evidence and supported by the network of the cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom it blames for orchestrating a failed coup in 2016. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, has denied the charges and condemned the coup.

The travel warning updates come after the United States and Turkey lifted all visa restrictions against each other in late December, ending a months-long visa dispute that began when Washington suspended visa services at its Turkish missions after two local employees of the U.S. consulate were detained on suspicion of links to the coup.</s>ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has warned its citizens about travelling to the United States, in retaliation for a new U.S. travel advisory about Turkey.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday urged citizens to reconsider travel plans to the United States, citing a series of terror attacks, violent incidents and “arbitrary arrests” — an apparent reference to a Turkish banker who was arrested in the United States and convicted of helping Iran avoid U.S. sanctions.

The travel warning came days after the United States urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Turkey, citing terror threats and arbitrary detentions under an ongoing state of emergency.

The two NATO allies have seen their ties deteriorate since a coup attempt in 2016 that the Turkish government blames on U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen denies involvement.</s>Turkey warns citizens against US travel over security

Turkey has warned its citizens to revise their travel plans to the US or act with caution if they go ahead with a trip, according to a statement by the foreign ministry.

A statement on Friday cited risks or terrorist attacks as well as arbitrary arrests in Turkey’s Western ally.

“It is observed that there is a recent increase in terrorist and violent attacks in the US,” the statement said, referring to several deadly incidents over the past few months.

“Attacks by vehicles being driven on crowds, in addition to bomb and gun attacks, are likely to continue to target city centres, cultural events, subway stations, state buildings, places of warship and school campuses,” the statement said, adding that there is also a risk of arbitrary arrest for Turkish citizens travelling to the US.

The move came after the US announced a new travel advisory on Wednesday and named Turkey as a country with an “increased security risk” along with Sudan, Pakistan and Guatemala.

Turkey summoned senior US diplomat Philip Kosnett to the foreign affairs in Ankara on Thursday over Washington’s support for Syrian Kurdish fighters.</s>Ankara, Jan 12 (AP) Turkey has warned its citizens about traveling to the United States, in retaliation for a new US travel advisory about Turkey.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry today urged citizens to reconsider travel plans to the United States, citing a series of terror attacks, violent incidents and "arbitrary arrests" an apparent reference to a Turkish banker who was arrested in the United States and convicted of helping Iran avoid US sanctions.

The travel warning came days after the United States urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Turkey, citing terror threats and arbitrary detentions under an ongoing state of emergency.

The two NATO allies have seen their ties deteriorate since a coup attempt in 2016 that the Turkish government blames on US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen denies involvement.(AP) AMS .

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.</s>The United States Department of State has classified Turkey as a “level three” risk out of four, in a new system designed to protect US citizens travelling to foreign countries and warned to “reconsider travel” to Turkey due to “terrorism and arbitrary detention” risks.

According to a report by online news portal Ahval on Thursday, the US State Department’s page on Turkey, which was updated on Jan. 10, advises citizens to “reconsider travel” to Turkey due to “terrorism and arbitrary detention” risks.

The page advises citizens not to travel to areas along the Syrian border or in the south east more generally, due to terrorism. The department also warns about conditions in Turkey under the current state of emergency, in effect since Jul. 20 2016:</s>ANKARA - Turkey's foreign ministry said Turkish citizens traveling to the United States face the risk of arbitrary arrest, saying they should revise travel plans and take precautions if they do decide to travel.



Earlier this month, a US jury found a Turkish banker guilty of helping Iran evade US sanctions in a case that has strained diplomatic relations between the NATO allies and that Turkey has dismissed as politically motivated.



In a travel warning statement on its website dated January 11, the ministry also said there had been an increase in terror attacks and violent incidents in the United States recently.</s>Breaking overnight, Turkey has advised it's citizens not to travel to the United States.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has reportedly told citizens that they could possibly face arbitrary arrests in the US.

Turkish citizens were also warned of possible terrorist attacks as a reason to avoid the US.

The warning from Turkish officials comes shortly after US officials issued a similar statement regarding travel to Turkey.

It has only been a few weeks since the two countries lifted visa restrictions against each other.
Turkey cautions its citizens against travel to the United States in response to an advisory that warned Americans about terror threats and arbitrary detentions in Turkey.