Hi

I am a little bit concerned about the security situation in east turkey. I though about getting from Agri to Dogubayzit to cross to Iran. Today I met a bicycle rider who said he was attacked by people there who were trying to stop him and beat him up. Fake checkpoints ... guns pointing at him ... etc.

All went good in the end, but my head is spinning a little bit right now, if I should go there after all or just skip it ...

Thanks for your advice.
Julian

It's all a bit nasty to be honest. Likely to get worse in the run up to the November elections. Have a look at the Turkish news in English.
Hürriyet Daily News | LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR TURKEY AND THE REGION

Cheers,

Dicky

So the roads in that area were not closed as was suggested in another thread recently?

I did not hear anything about that. But PKK has checkoint there and they are not supposed to be very friendly ...

Current news..

Erzurum horasan part of E80 road is just closed..Sept.6 oo.55 am. after 4 cars have been put on fire...Operations started...

Never take the roads heading to kars or passing through kars.
from blacksea coast line,gümüşhane,bayburt,erzurum line recommended to get to gürbulak gate..keep staying with army check points to continue with escorts..never be on the road in early morning and in dark..If you are stopped by fake pkk check points, stop and say you are tourist and never try to run away...They are after trucks and military personel on the road.. Erzurum is safe to keep waiting if needed..Other bordergates to Iran are all closed..only bezirgan -gürbulak works...If anyone wants to keep staying in trabzon,ı can recommend my friend Sedat and university campus across the airport.. He can recommend the best for the area.... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bilte...74?pnref=story

""""06 Eylül 2015 - 00:55 Kars Haberleri » Haber
KARS’TA PKK YOL KESTİ, 4 ARACI ATEŞE VERDİ
Kars’ın Sarıkamış ilçesinde PKK’lı teröristler, Karakurt-horasan-Erzurum karayolunu ulaşıma kapatarak 1 otobüs ve 3 kamyonu ateşe verdi.
Edinilen bilgilere göre, Sarıkamış-Karakurt-Horasan-Erzurum karayolunda yol kesen PKK’lı teröristler, yolu trafiğe kapatıp durdurdukları 1 otobüs ve 3 kamyonu ateşe verdi.
Öte yandan, Kars-Sarıkamış-Karakurt-Horasan-Erzurum karayolu güvenlik gerekçesiyle trafiğe""""""""

"""""Ağrı Dağı ve Tendürek Dağı Geçici Güvenlik Bölgesi İlan Edildi
04 Eylül 2015 Cuma 01:13
Ağrı Valiliği; Ağrı Dağı ve Tendürek Dağı’nın askeri operasyonlar dolayısıyla özel geçici güvenlik bölgesi ilan edildiğini duyurdu.""""""

****On the other side mount ararat and tendürek is announced as nonsecure areas for military operations between 4 and 19 sept. by the mayor of ağrı.

Georgia,armenia,iran also is an option if you will not be meeting the iranian escort.gate visa available for most citizens for georgia and armenia...No insurance for georgia and short term 8-15 usd. for armenia...

Unlucky days..Good luck all and I wish road angels be with you..

__________________
Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

Thanks for posting this, but very sad to hear.

Thanks for the update Mehmet. That was really important since I was just going to take taht way. But how did you mean to get to the Gurbulak gate from below that line you mention if the road E-80 is closed?

"From blacksea coast line,gümüşhane,bayburt,erzurum line recommended to get to gürbulak gate..keep staying with army check points to continue with escorts."

Any idea when that road is open again? Perhaps it is faster to try via Georgia and Armenia. Pity that one cannot get directly to Armenia.

I'd echo this advice, but for other reasons than any current tensions....

Great to see Mehmet is still providing excellent advice and keeping travellers safe on the road. He was a life saver for me earlier in the year when I had an accident in Kars, not sure what I would have done without him. Anyone travelling through Turkey should listen to his advice and experience.

Dave



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That is very good advice, one of my friends last year was stopped at a random check point in East Turkey on his motorbike which turned out to be the a fake PKK check point who he said had a mix of rifles and petrol bomb cocktails at first they seemed aggressive he said but after they checked his passport and he told them he was a tourist travelling they let him go

I am in Sinop. Will try to get to Trabzon tomorrow. Then Batumi. Then Tbilis

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In Turkey along D010

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