A holiday that should have been about turquoise waters and mountain air has taken a tragic turn. Multiple British nationals have died or suffered serious injuries while paragliding in Turkey’s popular resort towns, prompting fresh travel warnings from both the UK and Irish governments.

4 related posts

UK travel warning status: Active (GOV.UK) ·
Irish travel warning issued: May 2025 ·
Paragliding fatalities reported: Multiple British nationals (2025) ·
Affected areas: Oludeniz, Fethiye

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact number of 2025 paragliding fatalities
  • Whether all operators in Oludeniz and Fethiye follow regulated safety standards
  • Long-term impact on tourism numbers in affected resorts
3Timeline signal
  • Early 2025: Multiple paragliding accidents in Oludeniz and Fethiye (GOV.UK)
  • May 2025: UK Foreign Office issues paragliding warning (GOV.UK)
  • 22 May 2025: Irish government issues travel warning (Irish Department of Foreign Affairs)
4What’s next
  • Tourists may reconsider paragliding bookings in Oludeniz and Fethiye
  • Travel insurance providers may add or adjust exclusions for extreme sports
  • UK and Irish advice likely to be reviewed as more data on accidents emerges

Four facts, one pattern: each official warning targets the same activity — paragliding — in the same corridor of Turkey’s Turquoise Coast.

Fact Details
UK travel advice last updated May 2025
Irish travel warning date 22 May 2025
Affected resort 1 Oludeniz
Affected resort 2 Fethiye
UK FCDO paragliding risk statement Explicitly warns of serious injury or death
Irish warning scope Extreme sports including paragliding and hot air ballooning
UK no-travel zone Within 10km of Syria border
Terrorism risk areas Southeast Turkey, Ankara, Istanbul

Why is there a travel warning for Turkey?

UK Foreign Office advice

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) maintains a dedicated Turkey safety and security page that warns: “Paragliding is an extreme sport and carries the risk of serious injury or death.” The page, published by GOV.UK (UK government travel authority), states that British nationals have died or been seriously injured whilst paragliding in Turkey. The advice also recommends participants keep a reasonable distance from potential landing zones because landing areas may be in public spaces.

What to watch

The FCDO warning does not ban paragliding — it tells travellers the activity carries fatal risk. That distinction matters for anyone deciding whether to book a tandem flight in Oludeniz.

Paragliding accidents in Oludeniz and Fethiye

The accidents that triggered the warnings occurred in Oludeniz and Fethiye, two neighbouring resort towns on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast that are among the world’s most popular paragliding destinations. According to GOV.UK (official UK government travel advice), multiple British nationals have died or been seriously injured while paragliding in these areas. The exact number of 2025 fatalities remains unconfirmed, but the pattern is clear enough for both the UK and Irish governments to issue public warnings.

  • Accidents concentrated in Oludeniz and Fethiye
  • Both fatal and serious injury cases reported
  • UK government directly links its warning to these incidents

Irish Department of Foreign Affairs warning

On 22 May 2025, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs issued its own travel warning for Turkey, advising caution on extreme sports. The department states: “The Department advises anyone considering extreme sports, including hot air ballooning and paragliding, to make sure proper safety measures are followed.” The advisory from Ireland’s official travel advice service rates paragliding risk as high.

Bottom line: The implication: two separate governments, within weeks of each other, felt the need to flag the same activity in the same region. That level of institutional attention is rare for a single sport.

Is it safe to travel to Turkey right now?

Safety in major cities (Istanbul, Ankara)

Turkey is not a no-go country. The FCDO Turkey travel advice (UK government foreign travel authority) does not advise against all travel to Turkey. Most visits to Istanbul, Ankara, and the coastal resorts proceed without incident. However, the FCDO notes that terror attacks in Turkey have occurred most often in southeast Turkey, Ankara, and Istanbul, citing incidents including an October 2024 attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries (5 killed, 22 injured) and a February 2024 courthouse attack in Istanbul.

The catch

A city can be generally safe for tourists while still carrying terrorism risk. The FCDO’s incident list — spanning 2022 through 2026 — shows that attacks happen sporadically in tourist-visited areas, not just near the Syrian border.

Regional advisories (coastal resorts vs. border areas)

The FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the Syrian border due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism. That restriction does not apply to Oludeniz, Fethiye, Antalya, Bodrum, or any of the mainstream Mediterranean resorts. Coastal regions are not classified as no-go zones, which is why millions of British tourists continue to visit them each year.

  • Syrian border zone: FCDO advises against all travel
  • Coastal resorts: No blanket ban, but activity-specific warnings apply
  • Paragliding: The only extreme sport called out by name in official UK advice

Paragliding safety precautions

For travellers who still choose to paraglide, the FCDO (UK government travel authority) advises checking operator credentials, insurance coverage, and equipment condition. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs adds that proper safety measures should be confirmed before booking. Neither government endorses specific operators, leaving the burden of vetting on the traveller.

Bottom line: The pattern: general travel to Turkey’s coast is unrestricted, but paragliding carries a separate, explicit warning. Tourists who avoid extreme sports face a very different risk profile from those who book a tandem flight.

What level of threat is Turkey?

Overall threat classification (SafeTravel, UK FCDO)

The UK FCDO does not advise against all travel to Turkey. Its classification divides the country into zones: the Syrian border area is a no-go zone, while the rest is open to travellers with standard precautions. SafeTravel (Irish Department of Foreign Affairs official travel advice) rates Turkey’s overall threat as moderate but flags paragliding as high risk.

Specific threats: terrorism, crime, natural disasters

The FCDO safety and security page (UK government travel authority) lists multiple recent terror incidents: a September 2025 attack on a police station in Izmir (3 officers killed), a February 2024 courthouse attack in Istanbul (1 killed), and a January 2024 church attack in Istanbul claimed by Daesh (1 killed). Crime risks include petty theft and scams in tourist areas. Natural disaster risk includes earthquakes, which are common across Turkey.

Travel advisories by country (UK, Ireland, US, Canada)

Each country applies its own threat scale. The UK and Ireland have issued specific warnings about paragliding. The US and Canada maintain general travel advisories for Turkey that focus on terrorism and the Syrian border, without singling out paragliding. That variation means a UK or Irish traveller receives a different level of warning than an American one at the same resort.

  • UK: Paragliding-specific warning + Syria border no-go zone
  • Ireland: Paragliding and extreme sports warning (22 May 2025)
  • US: General advisory; no paragliding-specific alert
  • Canada: General advisory; no paragliding-specific alert

The implication: travellers checking only their home government’s advice may get a very different picture of risk. The UK and Irish warnings are currently the most specific.

What is the safest part of Turkey to visit?

Antalya and Turkish Riviera

Antalya and the broader Turkish Riviera are generally safe for tourists. The FCDO (UK government travel authority) does not advise against travel to these regions. However, the paragliding warning covers Oludeniz and Fethiye — both within this same coastal stretch — so the “safe region” label does not extend to the activity itself.

Istanbul tourist areas

Istanbul’s main tourist districts — Sultanahmet, Taksim, and the Bosphorus shore — are visited by millions of tourists annually. The FCDO (UK government travel authority) warns that terror attacks have occurred in Istanbul, including the April 2026 incident near the Israeli Consulate and the 2022 explosion that killed 6 people. These are isolated events, but they mean Istanbul carries a different risk profile from a small resort town.

Bodrum and Izmir

Bodrum and Izmir on the Aegean coast are popular alternatives that do not feature in the paragliding warning. Paragliding is less dominant in these areas, but extreme sports still carry risks. The September 2025 police station attack in Izmir, reported by the FCDO (UK government travel authority), shows that security incidents can occur outside the southeast.

The trade-off

the safest region for a general holiday may not be the safest for extreme sports. Oludeniz is a safe resort town — except on a paraglider.

Is it safe to travel to Turkey with the war?

Impact of Israel-Hamas conflict on Turkey travel

Turkey is not directly involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The FCDO (UK government travel authority) does not cite the war as a reason to avoid Turkey. The paragliding warnings are unrelated to geopolitical events — they stem entirely from accident statistics in Oludeniz and Fethiye.

Turkey’s neutrality and regional stability

Turkey maintains diplomatic relations with both Israel and Palestine. The April 2026 incident near the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, reported by the FCDO (UK government travel authority), is listed as a terror attack, not a spillover from the war. The conflict has not triggered a change in travel advice for the country as a whole.

Travel insurance and cancellation policies

Travel insurance becomes critical when official warnings are active. Some policies exclude extreme sports coverage, and a government warning may affect cancellation terms. The FCDO (UK government travel authority) advises travellers to check their policy before departure, especially if they plan to paraglide.

  • Paragliding warnings are unrelated to the Israel-Hamas conflict
  • Turkey is not a no-travel destination due to war
  • Travel insurance is the traveller’s main layer of financial protection

The implication: conflating war risk with paragliding risk is a mistake. Two separate safety conversations are running in parallel, and travellers need to address both.

The upshot

A UK or Irish traveller faces a narrower, more specific risk than the headlines suggest: paragliding in two resorts, not all of Turkey. The rest of the country remains open, but the official warnings demand a decision on that one activity.

Timeline

  • Early 2025 — Multiple paragliding accidents in Oludeniz and Fethiye involving British tourists (GOV.UK)
  • February 2024 — Armed attack on Çağlayan courthouse in Istanbul by DHKP/C, 1 killed (GOV.UK)
  • October 2024 — Attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries facility, 5 killed, 22 injured (GOV.UK)
  • January 2024 — Attack at Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul claimed by Daesh, 1 killed (GOV.UK)
  • May 2025 — UK Foreign Office updates safety page with paragliding warning (GOV.UK)
  • 20 May 2025 — Media coverage of UK travel warning following deaths
  • 22 May 2025 — Irish Department of Foreign Affairs issues travel warning (Irish Department of Foreign Affairs)
  • September 2025 — Attack on police station in Izmir, 3 officers killed (GOV.UK)
  • April 2026 — Shooting near Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, 2 officers injured (GOV.UK)

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

  • Paragliding accidents have caused deaths and serious injuries in Oludeniz and Fethiye (GOV.UK)
  • Official travel warnings exist from UK and Ireland (GOV.UK, Irish Department of Foreign Affairs)
  • Accidents concentrated in Oludeniz and Fethiye (GOV.UK)
  • UK FCDO warns paragliding carries risk of serious injury or death (GOV.UK)
  • Irish warning advises checking safety measures for extreme sports (Irish Department of Foreign Affairs)
  • UK and Ireland do not advise against all travel to Turkey (GOV.UK)

What’s unclear

  • Exact number of 2025 paragliding fatalities
  • Whether all operators follow regulated safety standards
  • Long-term impact on tourism in Oludeniz and Fethiye
  • Whether additional countries will issue similar warnings

Quotes

“Paragliding is an extreme sport and carries the risk of serious injury or death. British nationals have died or been seriously injured whilst paragliding in Turkey.”

— UK Government travel advice (official FCDO guidance)

“The Department advises anyone considering extreme sports, including hot air ballooning and paragliding, to make sure proper safety measures are followed.”

— Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (official travel advisory)

Summary

The paragliding warnings from the UK and Ireland do not ban travel to Turkey — they isolate a specific, preventable risk in two coastal towns. For the British and Irish traveller planning a holiday on the Turquoise Coast, the decision is clear: skip the tandem flight over Oludeniz, or invest serious time vetting the operator’s safety record. The alternative is gambling with a warning that two governments felt compelled to issue.

Additional sources

presshive.uk, youtube.com, gov.uk

Don't miss these

Frequently asked questions

What are the risks of paragliding in Turkey?

According to the UK Foreign Office (official travel authority), paragliding carries the risk of serious injury or death. British nationals have died or been seriously injured while paragliding in Turkey, particularly in Oludeniz and Fethiye.

How can I stay safe while paragliding in Turkey?

The FCDO (UK government travel authority) advises checking operator credentials, insurance coverage, and equipment condition. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs recommends confirming that proper safety measures are in place before booking.

Which Turkish resorts have had paragliding accidents?

Accidents have been reported in Oludeniz and Fethiye, both on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. The UK government (official travel authority) specifically links its warning to incidents in these areas.

What does the UK Foreign Office say about paragliding?

The FCDO (UK government travel authority) states that “Paragliding is an extreme sport and carries the risk of serious injury or death” and notes that British nationals have died or been seriously injured whilst paragliding in Turkey.

Is paragliding banned in Turkey?

No, paragliding is not banned in Turkey. The UK and Irish governments advise caution and recommend checking safety measures, but there is no legal prohibition on the activity.

Should I cancel my Turkey trip due to paragliding warnings?

The warnings target paragliding specifically, not all travel to Turkey. If you plan to avoid extreme sports, most of Turkey remains open for tourism. Check your travel insurance coverage before deciding.

Are there unregulated paragliding operators in Turkey?

It is unclear whether all operators in Oludeniz and Fethiye follow regulated safety standards. The FCDO (UK government travel authority) advises verifying operator credentials and equipment condition before booking.

Related reading