Tourists heading to Turkey have been cautioned about the dangers of earthquakes, which pose a "risk to life", following a recent quake that left 151 people injured. A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit the Sea of Marmara, prompting the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to revise its guidance on April 23.
In an update issued on Thursday, the FCDO warned: "Many parts of Turkey regularly experience earthquakes and tremors. These can be high magnitude, cause damage to infrastructure, and pose a risk to life.
"A 6.2-magnitude earthquake which occurred in the Sea of Marmara on 23 April 2025, was felt strongly in Istanbul. Be aware of the risk of aftershocks. See Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority's (AFAD) earthquake page for the latest information about seismic activity in Turkey."
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The FCDO advised tourists to "Follow advice from local authorities, tour operators and accommodation providers. See the US Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance about what to do before, during and after an earthquake."
Additionally, the FCDO noted: "On 6 February a major earthquake hit south-east Turkey, affecting 10 cities including Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Gaziantep and Adiyaman, and the north-west region of Syria. Later that day a second major earthquake occurred in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş, 80 miles north of Gaziantep.", reports Birmingham Live.
On Reddit, comments poured in regarding seismic concerns in Istanbul. One individual remarked: "Upcoming great Istanbul earthquake is expected to be between 7 - 7.5 magnitudes. Each whole number on the Richter scale is 10 times more ground shaking and releases 32 times more energy so good luck Istanbul."
Concern for safety was evident as another stated, "I hope not a lot of people got harmed. And this is not the mega earthquake which is statistically supposed to happen some time soon, right?"
A pragmatic perspective came from another user who suggested, "The thing is this earthquake should be considered a blessing, because the authorities can actually start preparing for the big one that is long been expected to happen, the countermeasures are not there right now and no one even talked about it until now."
Highlighting historical patterns, another added, "Istanbul is hit with a major earthquake in about every 250 years throughout the history. Most people feel like the big one is on the horizon so we better get prepared."
Amidst anticipation for seismic activity, another comment read: "I think everything will be open but news and siesmologists warned everyone to be cautious especially for the next few days. There is very big istanbul earthquake expected for some time now and they think this one has triggered the big one and they dont really know when it might hit".
"We're scheduled to travel tomorrow morning, and I have a couple of questions: Is it safe to travel after the earthquake? And is there any chance it could trigger a stronger one?" another enquired.
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