Istanbul Safety?
I may be travelling to Istanbul in a couple weeks, but while talking to a family friend recently she said something about Turkey being on a "Do Not Fly" list due to it being dangerous for Americans travelling there. Does anyone know anything about this and is Istanbul a safe destination?
Savannah
Minneapolis 3/17/10
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"Do not fly" is a designation to prevent specific individuals from boarding planes to the US, it is not a blanket designation for an entire country. My guess is that your friend was either mistaken or confused. The violent crime rate from 2007 (the most recent date I could find) was well below the average for American cities. Violent crime directed at Americans in particular is excedingly rare.
To see the list of countries our government feels is un-safe for travel, go to the U.S. State Department website at: http://www.state.gov . On the main page, look for the "QuickLinks" box, and then select "Travel Warnings" from the drop-down menu. Turkey is not presently on that list. I would imagine that if Rick Steves is sending tour groups to Istanbul, it is perfectly safe.
We spent 5 days in Istanbul in October '08 pre-cruise and had a great time; it's a beautiful city and very clean ... we walked everywhere and even took the local ferry up to the Black Sea. I would go back anytime... Jean