Destination: Turkey

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION

Dangers & Annoyances

Although Turkey is by no way a dangerous country to visit, it’s always wise to be a little cautious, especially if you’re travelling alone. Be wary of pickpockets in buses, markets and other crowded places. Keep an eye out for anyone lurking near ATMs.

In Turkey safety seems a low priority. Holes in pavements go unmended and unlit at night; precipitous drops go unguarded; safety belts are worn only as long as it takes to drive past a police officer before being released; lifeguards on beaches are conspicuous by their absence. Don’t even ask yourself how safe it is for a dolmu? driver to be negotiating a bend while simultaneously counting out change! Things are changing slowly, but parents of young children in particular will need to be on their guard at all times.

At the time of writing, travelling in the southeast is safe as the unrest there appears to have largely subsided. However, the Kurdish issue is far from resolved, so be sure to check the situation before setting out.

Travel Advisories

For the latest travel information log on to the following websites:

Australian Government’s Travel Advisory & Consular Assistance Service
UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office
US Department of State/Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Flies & Mosquitoes

In high summer, mosquitoes can make a stay along the coast a nightmare. Some hotel rooms come equipped with nets and/or plug-in bugbusters, but it’s a good idea to bring your own mosquito coils to burn as well. As dusk falls, remember to cover your arms and legs or at least to slather yourself with insect repellent.

In some towns the authorities try to combat the more general problem of insects by sending out vans that belch repellent into the sky, usually at about the time in the evening when everyone has just sat down on a terrace for dinner. Some people might consider these dubious clouds of noxious fumes to be as alarming as the insects they’re supposed to be eradicating.

Lese-Majesty

The laws against insulting, defaming or making light of Atatürk, the Turkish flag, the Turkish people, the Turkish Republic etc are taken very seriously. Be warned that even if such remarks were never made, Turks have been known to claim they were in the heat of a quarrel, which is enough to get the foreigner carted off to jail.

Traffic

Unfortunately Turkey has a terrible record when it comes to road safety, which means that you must drive defensively at all times. It’s particularly unwise to drive in the dark on country roads where tractors may be ambling along with unlit trailers. When travelling long distances, it’s worth paying slightly more to use a bus company with relief drivers, rather than risk being driven by someone who may be at the wheel for a straight 18 hours.

As a pedestrian note that there is no such thing as right of way, despite the little green man. Give way to cars and trucks in all situations, even if you have to jump out of the way.

Scams & Druggings

Turkey is one of the friendliest and most welcoming countries on the planet, but there will always be a few sharks in the mix. Although it wouldn’t do to be paranoid about potential scams, it does pay to be careful, especially in ?stanbul.

One of the most popular scams targeted at single men is the nightclub-bar shake-down – it mostly happens in ?stanbul. You probably know the scene: you’re strolling through Sultanahmet, when you’re approached by a dapper young man who starts up a conversation. After your initial hesitation, and once you realise he’s not affiliated with a carpet shop, you start chatting away. He’s says he’s off to meet friends for a drink in Beyo?lu, as there’s nowhere to party in Sultanahmet. Would you like to go along? Woohoo! You go into a bar and are approached by some girls by which time it’s way too late to back out. When the bill arrives lo and behold the girls’ outrageously expensive drinks appear on it. It’s no good claiming you have no cash on you – you’ll be frogmarched to the nearest ATM and ‘persuaded’ to cough up. If this happens to you make sure you report it to the tourist police; some travellers have taken the policeman back to the bar and received some or all of their money back.

Drugging isn’t a common problem, but it’s worth mentioning none-the-less. In this situation a single guy is approached by two or three so-called friends, often claiming to be from Egypt or Lebanon or Romania and often accompanied by the fig leaf of a woman. Fall for this one and you risk finding your drink spiked and waking up in some unexpected location with all your belongings, right down to your shoes, missing – or worse. When the missing person billboards in 2005 went up for a Korean tourist, most locals knew the fate of this unlucky young man – a month later his body was found on the outskirts of ?stanbul. Most likely he was a victim of a drugging gone wrong.

Moral of these stories? Single men should not accept invitations from unknown folk in large cities without sizing the situation up very carefully beforehand. You could also invite your new-found friends to a bar of your choice; if they’re not keen to go, chances are they are shady characters.

We’ve also heard reports about two female travellers claiming to have their drinks drugged at a camp in Olympos.

Smoking

Turks smoke here, there and everywhere. Our favourite example was a driver holding a newborn with his left hand and a cigarette, the gear stick and the steering wheel with his right! Anti-smoking laws are on the drawing board, but until they come into effect you’ll have to endure smoking in restaurants, cafés, bars and hotel lobbies. Public transport is usually smoke-free. Taxi drivers will usually butt out if you ask them to.