Rory confirms absence from Turkish Open

 due to "security fears"

Rory McIlroy has confirmed he has withdrawn from the European Tour's Turkish Airlines Open, starting on Thursday,  because of security fears.

The European Tour were hoping to have both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in its field, as well as American Patrick Reed. Now they have none of them.

McIlroy announced he would not play because of heightened security concerns in Turkey, the BBC reported. Reed, who intended to play the event, was on the entry list as late as Saturday, but was not on it on Sunday, though no other details are available. 
David Lipsky is the only American in the field.

“It was weighing on my mind and I have slept a lot better knowing that I’d made a decision," said McIlroy, who tied for fourth in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai today.

“I gave it a lot of thought, basically all week. The fact that I have won the FedEx Cup this year and that I have won the Race to Dubai before made the decision a little bit easier.”

The U.S. Department of State on Saturday issued an updated Turkey Travel Warning that ordered “the departure of family members of employees posted to the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey. The Department of State made this decision based on security information indicating extremist groups are continuing aggressive efforts to attack U.S. citizens in areas of Istanbul where they reside or frequent.”

The Turkish Airlines Open will be played in  Antalya, about 300 miles south of Istanbul. However, the Antalya area was hit with three rocket attacks earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the State Department “continues to warn U.S. citizens of increased threats from terrorist groups throughout Turkey. U.S. citizens should avoid travel to southeast Turkey and carefully consider the risks of travel to and throughout the country."

In June, the Ladies European Tour cancelled the Turkish Airlines Women’s Open because of security threats.