THE Turkish bird flu outbreak has so far failed to put tourists off travelling to the country, according to travel agents in the region.

Two siblings have died from bird flu in the eastern city of Van, and a third is also suspected to have died from the infection.

Three people in the Turkish capital of Ankara have since tested positive for the H5N1 strain, the first suspected cases outside Van.

But tour operators in the North-East say that, for the time being at least, the fears of an epidemic have not affected the number of bookings for holidays in Turkey.

None of the major travel agents have deemed the country unsafe to visit, and customers appear to be of the same mindset as they continue to book holidays there, although some have raised slight concerns in the wake of the reports.

A spokesman for Travelcare, in North Road, Darlington, said: "There's a lot of people coming in here worrying about it.

"But at the moment, the tour operators are not sending anything out saying there is any problem - although that could change if it got worse."

And a spokesman for Hays Travel, in Shildon, County Durham, said: "We've had a few people say that they're worried about it.

"It's had no effect. A lot of people are still going.

"They are not being put off and we are still getting bookings"

And most travel agents insisted that they had not been affected at all. A spokesman for Travelcare in Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, said: "It takes more than that to worry people here."

She added: "We get updates from the embassy and we've had nothing to say it's not safe to travel."

However, the tour operators are advising customers to check with their doctors before travelling.

The fatalities in Turkey were the first caused by the virus outside of the 74 deaths in Asia.

Birds in Turkey, Romania, Russia and Croatia have tested positive for H5N1.