Security has been tightened throughout Turkey since the arrest of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan in February, but bombings blamed on the PKK Kurdish separatist group have rattled Ankara and Istanbul in recent weeks. The worst incident occurred in an attack in a shopping center on the outskirts of Istanbul that killed 13 people March 13. That attack took place in a district not frequented by tourists, but the PKK has targeted tourist areas in the past and has warned that Turkey is now unsafe for tourists. Whether the group is capable of carrying out a sustained bombing campaign is unclear. General elections are scheduled for April 18 and officials view the attacks as an attempt to disrupt the election. Consider deferring travel to Turkey until after the election.
