England Women’s World Cup qualifier in Turkey on Tuesday is set to go ahead as it stands amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The Lionesses are due to face Ukraine in Antalya with Ukraine still unable to fulfil fixtures on home soil due to the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
The England players and staff travelled to the region on Thursday and have so far been training normally ahead of the game.
Turkey, who share a border with Iran, have until this point remained largely unaffected by developments following the US-Israel joint strikes on the country on Saturday.
The closure of airspaces across the Middle East has led to increased congestion through Turkish airspace, but authorities have emphasised that all services continue to operate safely without disruption.
England Women’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in Antalya, Turkey on Tuesday is set to go ahead as it stands amid escalating tensions in the Middle East
The UK’s Foreign Office has advised against travel to ‘parts of Turkey’, including within six miles of the border with Syria, ‘due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism’. Antalya, situated on Turkey’s south-west coast, is around 500 miles from the Syrian border.
Otherwise, it has advised British nationals travelling to the area to monitor local and international media for the latest information amid regional escalation.
Several British journalists who were due to travel and cover the game are no longer attending.
When contacted for comment, the FA said: ‘Our preparations are continuing for Tuesday’s fixture against Ukraine.
‘We remain in regular contact with the government’s FCDO with regards to our travel and security.
‘We will continue to remain in regular contact with all relevant authorities.’
