Safety in Turkey
I am traveling to Istanbul and the near vicinity for two weeks this April. I am a female and will be traveling alone. After the bombing at the US consulate this morning and the seemingly constant elevation of conflict in the general area, I am now more worried about my safety. Even if I stay inside the city of Istanbul (on the European side) would my safety be greatly compromised? Should I alter or cancel my travel plans? Who do I contact for more information on current safety for Americans in Turkey? I am almost of the mindset that that part of the world is going to get worse before it gets better and that the historic sites should be seen before they are destroyed...thoughts???
Rebe
San Antonio, TX 2/1/13
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I think that if you are worried about your safety you should not go, however Istanbul is more safe that just about any place in the world. More safe than San Antonio.
hi rebe -
i am going to istanbul in may. i just registered on this website for s about thirty seconds ago:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1046.html
i also noticed this: "Please be advised that explosions have been confirmed in front of Embassy Ankara. U.S. citizens are advised to not visit the Consulates in Istanbul, Adana or the Embassy in Ankara until further notice. We will this message to U.S. citizens on our webpage when we have additional information."
since my trip isnt until may, i have decided to just leave it as it for now.
*edit to add: if you are personally feeling any bit of reluctance towards your trip, take that into consideration. if 23894723894 people tell you that you will be fine, and you still personally do not feel at ease, you probably wont enjoy your trip. thats kind of how i am looking at it. if i am the least bit afraid, i know i wont enjoy my time there.
Rebe,
As someone else mentioned, Turkey is generally a very safe country although travel in the border areas near Syria would not be a real good idea at this time.
I learned of the Ankara incident this morning, and also heard the warnings to stay clear of U.S. consular facilities in that area. I tend to be less concerned with this sort of thing so would probably still go, however my circumstances are somewhat different. You'll have to decide how comfortable you feel with the situation.
As someone else mentioned, registering with the U.S. State Department would probably be prudent. You could also make a call to ETBD, as I'm sure they will have good up-to-date information from their Turkish Guides.
In the same situation, I'd probably contact SRM TRAVEL and arrange at least one walking tour (or whatever) with them. It shouldn't cost much and the Guide will be able to show you the best areas and provide tips on how to avoid problems. Travelling with an experienced Guide will likely provide somewhat of a "comfort factor".
Good luck with your decision and (hopefully) Happy Travels!
I guess my main concern now is just traveling there alone...I am obviously an American and I think for safety sake I'm going to postpone until I find a group or travel buddy unless you all have some suggestions for that also!
Rebe... there is no real easy way to answer this. I am planning a trip for a group to Turkey this Sept. and when I heard this my first thought was...Oh, should I change the plans?? (and I am not one to be too afraid to travel) It only took a few minutes for me to look at the risk factor and try to be logical about it all. Unless things escalate the chances of something happening to me are probably zero. I have been to Istanbul before and loved it and really do want to return. It all depends on how you feel about it. Have you been to NYC since 9/11? I remember my first trip there a few weeks after and as the bridges were suspect, I was a bit nervous driving over the TappanZee, but I did not want to become paralyzed thinking there is evil everywhere. If you decide not to go in April you can PM me as we will be trying to get together a group to go in Sept. Perhaps you could join us. BTW I love San Antonio!
Rebe I doubt you look "obviously American". You may speak english and wear jeans, but that does not make you American. Why do Americans think they look so different from Australians( they don't all wear khakis) and Canadians( we don't all wear toques and lumber jackets) , you likely don't unless you wear a cowboy hat and boots or an American flag drapped over you. I have been asked if I am American. I look just like you. My "accent" is just like anyones from the Pacific Northwest too, not that anyone whos first language is not english is able to tell much from accents. I wear same brands and styles of clothing. So while its fine to decide you are not comfortable with solo travel, I wouldn't do so because I felt I looked too "American".
You probably just look like a tourist and I am not sure it open season on tourists.
To be fair I haven't heard about the Embassy bombing, so that is something I would look into and I would look on your own embassies websites, don't they usually post travel alert warnings.. ?
my trip will be solo as well.
someone brought up new york city. i live here. so im kind of more used to going about daily life living inside a city plagued with terror threats. i am trying to not let that influence my decision. im trying to make myself not to get too cocky and do "pfffffft been there, done that" about safety. but three times today i found myself reminding people "im from new york, im used to terror threats" so i need to work better on this.
Terrorists mostly attack fixed targets or known targets with regular patterns. They attack only after extensive surveillance and planning. As an anonymous, random tourist, you are neither a prominent target, nor do you have a set daily routine that could be observed and compromised. Unless you plan on crossing the boarder and visiting Aleppo or Homs, your chances of being caught in random violence are infinitely small compared to the risk of dying in an automobile accident.
If you see a crowd of angry people, move away.
Check the State Department's travel advisory website for information on specific threats.
Rebe, I have been to Istanbul two times since 2010. It is a lovely city
and I felt very safe there. My last trip in October was with a female
friend but we often went out on our own. I think the European side attracts
more tourist but that is not say it is safer. The worst thing that has
happened is having a rug salesman try to make a sale each time I pass. By
the end of the trip we just say "hello" in passing. Just take the usual
precautions with your belongings. The Turkish people are very friendly.
Hi Rebe,
Here is the thing, American diplomatic missions all over the world are under threat from terrorists and the terrorists will strike where ever they find a weakness be it Paris, Dublin or Ankara! But that does not mean that the people in that country are anti American or anti foreigner, it just means that someone let their guard down.
I've seen nothing to suggest that your average Turk supports the bombing and I would expect that you will be fine, sticking to your plan. But at the same time I would avoid obvious target places such as diplomatic missions, made in America businesses such as Starbucks etc..
Jim.
Rebe, I agree with Ken & Tom. If you planned on travel to border areas where there is unrest, then you might want to rethink your plans. But for Istanbul and the East Coast of Turkey ask yourself this: if a bomb went off at the American Embassy in London, or Paris, or Rome would you cancel your plans to visit there three months from now. If your answer is no I would go anyway, then go to Istanbul (you're as likely to suffer from terrorist attack in any of these other cities), if your answer is yes, then by all means change your plans, you probably wouldn't really enjoy yourself anyway. If you do go to Istanbul, don't hang around the American Embassy or Consulate (unless you need there services of course), just relax and enjoy yourself.
By the way, I would go.
Like others have said, only you can decide whether you are comfortable traveling there. I am supposed to be in Istanbul in about 5 weeks time. As long as there are no more incidents, I will definitely be going.
The way I look at it, you've got to be prepared for the worst case scenario (but not keep thinking about it as you won't be able to enjoy your vacation). To me, the worst case is things go south quickly and you're suddenly in an evacuation scenario (like what happened in Egypt in 2011). I believe there is very little chance of this happening, yet I will make sure I'm prepared by always having passports, credit card, and a fairly large amount of cash in my money belt. The cash can be used to buy transport to the airport. Passport gets you onto one of the US flights, and credit card will pay for it. Some former state department worker wrote a book and talked about how back in his day, they carried emergency cash in their shoes in the event of an emergency evacuation.
My other piece of advice is not to watch Argo if you haven't already seen it. I sat in the theater watching it and seriously questioned my sanity of taking my family to Egypt last year!
"I would avoid obvious target places... made in America businesses such as Starbucks etc.."
Have to disagree with this bit. Starbucks and other American chain restaurants in Turkey are patronized overwhelmingly by Turks, and of course all the employees are Turks. They also hold no political significance. These places are not going to be targeted.
I would suggest taking a breath and then making up your mind to go. Is one incident enough to make you change you plans?
I went to Turkey for a month with my sister and mom and we never had a problem or felt unsafe. I even went for walks by my self in Istanbul. Most Turks were glad to have tourist around. And most people were very friendly. Personally the history I learned in Turkey helped me to understand some of the context of current events.
Yes you may encounter people who do not like Americans or more likely you will meet people who do not like american government policies. But generally they know one tourist does not make government policy decisions.
You are more likely to meet someone confrontational about their views here in the US then in Turkey.
I would go but only you can decide if you are comfortable.
"Have to disagree with this bit."
Lebanon is pretty safe too compared to Libya, but at the same time Ambassador Stevens was killed, protesters went after a Hardees and a KFC in Lebanon, for no other reason than they were American businesses...
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/10-photos-of-tripoli-protesters-destroying-a-kfc-a
Looking through those pics it's actually a combo Hardees/KFC/Baskin Robins/Krispy Kreme they trashed. Have they no shame! I've never seen a sadder Col. Sanders in my life.
Actually religious terrorists consider anyone patronizing a US/English/French/Algerian/Irish/Italian (choose your nationality) establishment to be as sinful as the "secular, demonic, capitalistic" (add whatever adjective you've heard spewed) Americans/English/Australians/Canadian/Irish/French/Norwegian/Danish/etc. So far Turkey has been pretty much spared.
Actually Bets traveling on an Irish passport in most of the Middle East is very safe. They consider us to be anti British and as the saying goes - mine enemy's enemy is my friend!
And would it throw too much of a monkey wrench into this discussion to note that a Marxist group claimed responsibility for the Ankara embassy attack? Just when you thought they went out of style:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21305950
.... it appears they have, sadly, found the body of the missing NY woman in Turkey. You have to consider all safety measures when travelling, not just political unrest.
We do Turkey a grave disservice when we equate it in our minds with fractious Arab countries such as Lebanon, Libya, and Syria. Turkey is a completely different culture with, for instance, far less propensity for Islamic radicalism. Millions of Western tourists pass through every year without incident.
The recent murder of an embassy guard by a leftist group does not mean that the country is more dangerous for tourists, just like the Newtown shooting did not make American schools more dangerous. They are highly isolated incidents.
Agree with Will, not sure "what part of the world" Rebe is referring to. Turkey gets lumped in with "the Middle East/North Africa" because most Turks are Muslim, but it's important for people to realize that Turkey is hugely different from other Muslim countries (and it's not in the Middle East of course) in that it's a relatively liberal secular democracy without a history and culture of strong anti-American feelings (which is helped by the fact that we've never occupied them...) (And before people say it, yes, anti-Americanism has increased in Turkey as a result of the Iraq war, but that was true around the globe including in Western Europe. Turkey is not an isolated case).
'(and it's not in the Middle East of course)'
Huh????
'(which is helped by the fact that we've never occupied them...)'
And the fact that Turkey didn't exist until 1922, even though the allied occupation of the area after WW I was one of the factors that prompted the nationalist movement.
Btw, we shouldn't lump together the Arab countries either. I was saddened by reports that tourist arrivals in Tunisia plummeted after the events of the Arab Spring, even though the political transition there was relatively quick and painless. Also, though I don't follow the situation in Lebanon, I imagine there are still plenty of good times to be had in Beirut.
Hey Ed, have you ever heard of Asia Minor?
Turkey borders the region we define as "the middle east". It is not IN the middle east.
"Turkey borders the region we define as "the middle east". It is not IN the middle east."
Is that some clever word play so you don't have to admit you're wrong? If Turkey isn't in the Middle East, then is it in the Far East?
No, it's the Near East! A term used all too seldom these days.
"No, it's the Near East!"
Your government says otherwise.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/wfbExt/region_mde.html
In fact they don't recognize the Near East (archaic) as a region at all.
When I took geography, we learned that Turkey was in the Middle East. Of course, we also learned that Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, etc were in Eastern Europe.
I'm not sure who the global authority is on the region known as the Middle East, but The World Atlas shows Turkey as part of the Middle East World Atlas Middle East
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm
And the Middle East Institute in DC has a Center for Turkish Studies.
Back to the original question. If you crossed places off your list because of terrorism, then Madrid, London, Paris, Oklahoma City, Washington, DC, and New York, as well as many more places would also be off limits.
Turkey is a wonderful place to visit ... great people and great history. For information on Turkey, I'd recommend Tom Brosnahan's Turkey Travel Planner website. I've heard him speak and he is extremely knowledgeable about Turkey. He was the author of the Lonely Planet Guide for many years.
"And the Middle East Institute in DC has a Center for Turkish Studies."
Perhaps due to the budget cuts, they haven't had time to change the "Middle" to "Near" yet. Of course, I'm sure they'll accept donations from those that are stubborn enough to argue for the new sign...
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