MmePerdu:

Maybe I should clarify if my comment came across theatrical. No, I didn't fear for my life - But a brief 4 paragraph synopsis isn't reflective of the whole experience and the other stressors people go through. And, fearing for someone's life shouldn't be the barometer of whether to go somewhere or not. And, the OP question and title to the post was "Istanbul - Would you go there?", which is why I shared what I did. In addition, numerous countries and airlines have ceased flights to Turkey, and have explicitly told their citizens not to travel to Turkey.

In addition, you stated earlier in the post "After an incident in a country is the best time to go." Which, is a false narrative. This was the 2nd airport attack in 6 months, on top of numerous isolated bombings between both airport attacks, and a coup. There seem to be numerous others in this post that would not go, either.

My intention isn't to get into a debate, but I'm simply telling the OP that I had the same question over the last several months. I'm sure the OP will be fine regardless of where they stay, but it's not unreasonable for somebody to have the opinion of not wanting to go there at the moment.

Good posts Soundslikedave.

Good post, SoundslikeDave. Thank you.

Soundslikedave, I wasn't criticizing your experience. It was after all, one from which you'd have particular insight and I was simply wondering if I'd missed something. Nor have I insisted that it's a perfect time to visit Turkey. What I meant to imply earlier was that we all have a "danger" threshold and I suspect I can possibly accommodate more than average. Not to say one position is innately better than another, it's too personal a decision.

I've spent time, for instance, in Pakistan when not many many westerners were. But the opportunity presented itself and I went. It was fascinating in part because there were virtually no other tourists. There can be advantages to situations that are generally perceived as adverse. And what's wrong with debate if we learn something?

When I was writing papers at my university in the United States, I was told by my professors that I should try to never use qualifying words such as 'numerous', 'many', 'most' when I write or speak on subjects on which I do not have numerical and/or statistical information, but depend on sayso or some possibly biased media or people. And when I have quantitative information, I would use those instead of the truely meaningless qualifying words.

What I understand from the above discussion is that:

1. Some of the forumites are very touchy for whatever reason related to their values, beliefs or ideas.

2. Those forumites like to appear to support each other on these forums.

3. They also like to show undocumented support to their views by using qualifying words with ease.

4. Some also write of the effects of their views and fears on their travels, to tell others how they felt or would feel although these fears and views would not necessarily be exemplary to any types of behaviour for other travelers who would be facing totally different circumstances and have their own fears, thoughts and ideas.

While some would cut a trip short when facing uncertainty and fear due to a lack of acceptable information on a situation, some others would welcome being in an unusual situation, (especially when it was ascertainable that there was no danger by noon, July 16 and that the few days ban on flights could actually provide some benefit in terms of free lodging and/or flights.

5. Those forumites who write negatively of places and travels try to include unsupported or unrelated evidence of their views. i.e.:
" In addition, numerous countries and airlines have ceased flights to Turkey, and have explicitly told their citizens not to travel to Turkey." After all, airports were closed for three days, but have heard of no bans for people arriving by boat, or train, or car! or a Foreign Office ban for all citizens, although there were warnings on websites.

Regarding visiting Istanbul at this time,

I do not advise it to any American citizens :
+ who are connected to the American govenment in any way.
+ who are looking for interviews with any Turkish officials.
+ who have strange desire to attend rallies and mingle in
crowds of demonstrators.
+ who are interested in taking photographs of demonstrations,
police, government buildings, embassies, consulates
+ who may be identified as a supporter of the religious Gulen
Gulen movement on basis of past activity or writing.
+ who do not follow my warnings on various threads. :)

I and DW do not have Pollyanna genes but can find enjoyment in life and all types of experiences, from finding ourselves on a queue of refugee status applicants and having to answer strange and what we thought were meaningless questions from some officials, in Madrid, thinking that it was a line for a museum entrance, while heatedly debating the value of the street signs and door number placards on some buildings to the fear that the owner of our boat who went fishing with a harpoon in the middle of a bay may have died and we would face not only an accusation but also the task of getting safely back to shore.

We even did not find it fearfull when we were actually taken into custody on our return from Madrid for the offense of entering the country without valid identity documents, when our passports were stolen in DW's carryon checking out of Puerto America Hotel in Madrid on our way to the airport. The only reaction when we realized that we would not be able to recover them at the hotel was my guts and my seemingly four hundred yard painful and desperate dash to the rest rooms. :)

I will start my new annual thread on advice to the wise or weary or edgy traveler to Istanbul sepecifically and Turkey in general, today or tomorrow, to give some facts and some of my analysis of those facts and hopefully not mix the facts with my personal views. I hope that those who are considering or may consider, will have a look at that thread on this forum before making a final decision.

OC, your comments on the use of numbers triggered this memory

When I studied neurolinguistic programming I was warned to avoid words like "surely, obviously and clearly" as they nealy always meant the exact opposite and were just part of a pressure process.

So many words....

I will have to tell my Pocono neighbour Fethullah Gülen that he has caused OC many problems.

Hopefully, I will run into him at Wegman's but I have heard he is not leaving his housing compound because of all the publicity.

Thin

Thanks OC, will look for the new thread as I have not changed my plans.

Was puzzled by the reference to airlines not flying to Turkey, when I checked the Istanbul airport website a few days ago there seemed to be plenty of flights to many, many places. Still are, even a few to the US.

Let's see. There are only how many places to visit in the world? (I don't want to use the word "many" as that would insult the language use of some people here). Choosing to go to a place that has civil unrest and government crackdowns on its citizens and recent terrorism is worth the "experience"? OK. Go.

Can think of "numerous" reasons not to go to Istanbul right now...I so agree "many" places to see in the world!

I can't tell if I was scolded, agreed with or ignored. I did accidentally have 2 adjacent "manys". Oh, woe. I've hit my vocabulary limits. Or maybe it's a conceptual limit. I'm confused.

Mme Perdue, I am sorry for not specifically mentioning that I agree with you 100%.

We cannot fully escape from using qualifying or quantifying words but only try to not make a pointless point when using them.

For those offended by my approach to "writing", it is only four views, myself and those professors on my dissertation committee.

Why do you think I would be insulted if you use the type of English I do not find reader friendly. If this is what you know and/or prefer, Go For It.

For myself, I will try to continue my way, with irony, satire when I can and sometimes sarcasm (and not in a snarky way because the "Snark" is an imaginary animal in a 19th Century poem and has nothing to do with sarcasm.)

It is up to all the other (whether there are none or many or numerous, meaning 2-2Million) readers to consider helpful or not whatever is written by whoever.

Thank you all for the light, friendly banter and your sense of humour. :)

Whew! Thanks, OC, for alleviating my confusion in the best possible way.

Well, I never expected to see a dissertation on whether or not I should go to Istanbul. I just wanted to get some feed back. We did decide to go. At first I thought I'd just stay at an airport hotel and try to lay low until our next flight, but I had second thoughts. Where in the world are we truly safe? I'm not saying I wanted to put myself in harms way, but I know anything can happen anywhere at any time and I refuse to be a victim. I did register with STEP through the US Embassy program (I advise all that travel broad to do this, if you haven't already). They know where you are and send updates on what is happening in your area.

We went to the hotel we had stayed in 7 years ago in the old section of the city. It is a lovely hotel, the Dersaadet. Sadly, we were the only guests there at first. Management treated us like royalty. We walked around the city with some trepidation, but found everything quite. We had the same friendly conversations that we had 7 years ago. The citizens are really feeling the crunch on tourism and I felt so badly for them. They really are a wonderful, friendly nation.

Would I recommend planning a trip to Turkey right now. Probably not. But I'm really glad we didn't alter our travel plans. Right or wrong, we did what we did and we will continue to travel. Once a traveler, always a traveler. I wish all that responded to this forum safe and happy travels.

Glad to hear it Caryn. We also had a night in Istanbul mid-August. It was quiet and everyone was just as friendly as when we were there 16 years ago. I was happy to give the little family hotel some business.

I found this thread very odd in that almost no one answered the OP's question.