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New travel advice issued by the Foreign Office alerts Britons to the threat of terrorist groups plotting attacks in the Mediterranean country.

UK holidaymakers – who are said to be “high value” targets – are at risk of kidnap, suicide bombings, car bombings and rocket attacks.

More than 2.5million Brits visit Turkey every year and this summer it is expected to be as popular as ever, with the pound rocketing against the lira.

But the Muslim nation has been rocked by western Islamic fanatics trying to enter Syria to join Isis as well as homegrown terror strikes against the government, police and judiciary.

Istanbul, the country’s biggest city, attracts 7.5million tourists every year and has been listed as a specific potential target.

The Foreign Office has described the threat of terrorism there as “high”.

Raffaello Pantucci, of defence think tank Royal United Services Institute, said: “Turkey and Syria are very dangerous environments.

“Turkey is a big tourist destination so there is a huge pool of people who will be wandering around and could get caught up in anything.

“Westerners will always get targeted because that will attract attention.

“Ultimately the terrorist groups are about attracting attention to spread their ideology.

“If a British national is killed the British press will write about it and the British press is copied and transmitted across the world. This is why westerners, particularly British, are seen as high value.”

Nine provinces have been branded no-go zones in the updated advice, unless travelling there is essential. The entire Syrian border is also out of bounds after terror attacks and kidnapping.

The Foreign Office advice says: “Isis, although based in Syria and Iraq, have the capacity to carry out attacks in neighbouring countries, including Turkey.

“Media reports suggest that terrorists could target areas throughout Turkey, including Ankara, Istanbul and areas close to the Syrian border.

“There is considered to be a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time.

“Attacks could be indiscriminate and could affect places visited by foreigners. You should exercise caution.”

The warning says the Government is unlikely to pay a ransom for kidnap victims as it believes it would only fuel more attacks. Travellers have also been told of a less serious threat of terrorism in Cyprus and Greece.

Scott Kirk, 27, from Milton Keynes, is travelling to Turkey with his family in September.

He said: “This is a genuine worry and something I knew nothing about.

“You go on holiday to enjoy yourself, not to get caught up in political turmoil. You don’t know how long it could last.”