Turkey: Too Dangerous to Travel? Advice welcome!

While the problems effecting Turkey do not make a pleasant first blog post, they are both very current and very important issues effecting many people, both inside, and outside of Turkey right now – including myself.

My boyfriend and I have been planning a trip to Turkey – starting in Cappadocia, then getting a long, long bus to Bursa, and finally, finishing up in Istanbul – for a few months. Having booked the flights and getting great, centrally located accommodation for reasonable prices in all three sites, we were, until recently, extremely excited to begin our adventure.

Recently there have been reports of terrorist attacks and violent demonstrations. These attacks have occurred in Istanbul, with one taking place directly outside the historical, tourist hotspot, Hagia Sophia. Meanwhile cases of kidnappings are prevalent along Turkey’s long border with Syria.

The government website advises against all travel within 10kms of the Syria border, and for those travelling within 50kms to seriously reconsider their trip, while stating only to take extra precaution when travelling in other areas of the country. Oli and I, luckily, are avoiding all zones that the Government suggests to steer clear of, however are still finding the prospect of Istanbul moderately terrifying!

With statistics showing that two thirds of holidaymakers have cancelled their Turkey holidays this year, Oli and I naturally thought that the right thing to do would be to follow suit and cancel ours.

However, then it dawned on us that by cancelling a holiday because of terror threats you are giving the terrorists power. Terrorists want to install fear into people, which will simultaneously give them power and news coverage. If not only the Turkish are nervous, but holidaymakers are too scared to step foot inside the country, then the terrorists have won.

For this reason, we have decided to continue with our original plans and go to Turkey next month. We will keep updated with the news, government advice and any blogs that have been written. We will dress suitably and abide by local rules.

However, if anyone has any personal experiences of travelling to Turkey recently, be them positive or negative, I would be appreciative to hear any advice you have. After all, the most insightful piece I have read on the topic was a blog post which offered statistics when comparing the likelihood of the terrorist affecting your holiday with the probability of one winning the lottery! 

S.B