The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) repeated on Sunday its call for Filipinos seeking work abroad to be extra careful when accepting offers as entertainers in Turkey, noting the absence of a bilateral agreement between the two countries.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque said his department, through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), has yet to process employment documents of overseas performing artists (OPAs) to Turkey.

“Due to lack of established protective and monitoring mechanisms, the DoLE is not keen on allowing Filipino artists to perform in that country,’’ said Roque.

“We have to come up with a bilateral agreement to assure protection of our workers in Turkey,’’ he added.

POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili earlier issued the advisory after some groups of OPAs who were able to land jobs in a nightclub in Turkey complained of abuses by their employer.

The Filipino entertainers had no proper documentation by the POEA and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). They were later repatriated by the Philippine embassy, Manalili said.

Earlier, the DoLE also reiterated that there is an existing government ban against the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Afghanistan in light of persistent hostilities and the recent death of 10 Filipino workers who perished in a helicopter crash in that country.

The DoLE said the unfortunate passing of the 10 Filipino workers “should serve as a lesson for OFWs defying the ban to their own disadvantage and peril.’’

It has not yet been ascertained whether the workers entered Afghanistan illegally.

“We urge OFWs to seek and avail of legitimate opportunities available to them, through the POEA and licensed recruitment agencies,’’ Roque said, adding these are available in more than 190 host destinations worldwide.