Political turmoil in Turkey...
 

Hello,

I'm due to leave for Istanbul this Saturday the 12th, and will be visitng turkey for 2 weeks. given the current political tensions, should I be thinking about canceling my trip?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6641381.stm

Thanks for your time,
Chris

There's a thread on this very topic just below yours in the Turkey forum:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

You mean this one
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...12&start=0

Madscribe-if you do a search in the search box on Turkey, you'll see there are several threads on this topic.

I wouldn't advise going to Turkey at this time-the PKK said last month that they were stepping up their campaign TO TARGET TOURISTS, not just a terrorist campaign against Turkish govt. targets, but TOURISTS. This group does not just threaten; they have been responsible for attacks where tourists have been killed or injured in Istanbul, Kusadasi and elsewhere every year since the horrific bombings of 2003 (the 2003 attacks which were attributed to al-qaeda). There is no other country in the world right now where that is the situation-again, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING TOURISTS for terrorist attacks.

All you have to do to find out more, is GOOGLE: Turkey, tourists, attacks

This thread boggles my mind. What about the recent riots in a park in LA in which immigrants were targeted by our very own police force?!

This issue DOES keep on getting raised, and the logic of many posters leaves a VERY great deal to be desired.

Let's get a few things straight:

- at present, the low-level squabbles about the the appointment of the next president present no risk to anyone except possibly demonstrators and anyone choosing to involve themselves in, or get too close to, these demos. Unless something changes, it's a complete non-issue as far as travellers are concerned.

- Turkey DOES have a number of terrorist groups who are specifically targetting Westerners - both tourists and businesspeople -, who have repeatedly made it clear that targetting will continue this year, and have murdered dozens of British and other Western visitors over the past five years. Indeed the only foreign country where more Britons have been murdered by terrorists this decade is America.
Which said, the British Foreign Office is NOT giving the fatuous advice the previous poster is giving. Your chances are being affected by random murderous attacks in Turkey are a great deal less than - well, than they'd be if you were a student in Virgina.

- Additionally, there are Islamist groups who are targetting Christians (who were a long established religion in what's now Turkey five centuries before Mohammed even thought of going to a mountain) and murdering them. However disgraceful this is, and however useless the country's government is at stopping it, only a handful of people have been affected so far. You might choose to boycott a country whose citizens tolerate such behaviour (or which continues to make mentions of the Islamist genocide of Christian Armenians a criminal offence). But that's a different issue from your safety.

However nice most Turks may be, a visit to Turkey is not without risk. But that risk is a great deal less than other risks practically anywhere else onm earth. It's cetainly a very great deal safer than daily life in the United States.

<<< There is no other country in the world right now where that is the situation-again, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING TOURISTS for terrorist attacks. >>>

ETA

Well, we had a few doubts too but thought them through and decided we're willing to take a small level of personal risk. So, I just bought tickets 2 days ago, and we leave in a week.

To me, the issue is that I travel to learn more about a country and its people. And, you know what, 99.9999% of the world is made up of people just like you and me--people who are concerned about their families, making a living, doing the daily routines etc. If there were more of a belief throughout the world today that at heart we're all alike with similar hopes, dreams, fears etc., rather than the constant hype of FEAR that is promulgated by so many, including most of the mainstream media, perhaps we'd all get along better throughout the world.

I'll let you know what we thought about the country when I return.

this is all very disconcerting to read..i'm hoping it's exaggerations. we have a trip to istanbul booked for october as part of our honeymoon.

is a guide advised when walking around sites? do i have to worry about taxis? security of hotel?

Come to think of it..., there are so many Turks around me, on the job, in the street, everywhere. Maybe not leaving home helps? They're all terrorists, right, all of them. Hope I'll survive... ;-). Turkey has become to expensive with too many tourists, a small terrorism threat may help. :D But at least in the tourist regions everybody speaks German and takes Euros :D :D. Dying in a blaze with all Germans around you, what a way to go :-) Northern Turkey is still on my list of places to go!

there are no travel warnings for Turkey, at least not yet

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p...w/tw_1764.html

For accurate up to date warnings and infos, go here: :D
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/

I love reading people who does not planning their daily life according the medias brainwash and desinformation. I aggree that we are not more dangerous than Virginia :-))
Religious tolorence is still very high in Turkey and we keep close eye on the other religious heritage we have in the country and proud with them.
Happy Travelling,
Murat