Is it safe to travel to Turkey? UPDATED October 24, 2024.
Once again I’m receiving messages from people asking is it safe to travel to Turkey. Once again it’s with a sad heart I am updating this post I originally published in 2016 and have updated several times since then.
First I want to share some facts to put things in perspective when it comes to the question is it safe to travel to Turkey.
The latest attack in Turkey to make headlines occurred on 23.10.24. It took place at the Turkish Aerospace Industries premises in Ankara, located nearly 40km from the tourist centre of the city. It was a targeted attack in which three individuals killed five people and injured 22 others. As of this update, investigations are ongoing but it has been identified as a terrorist attack.
Until things settle down many social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube and so on will be running slowly or temporarily blocked completely. This is usual practice in Turkey after terrorist events, natural disasters and other incidents.
Prior to this latest incident, the major concern about coming to Turkey stemmed from Israel’s invasion of Gaza, and now ongoing genocidal attacks on Palestinians. Despite what you might think, Istanbul and Jerusalem are some distance apart, in fact nearly 1800km distance by road. Granted, THY flights between Istanbul and Tel Aviv only take 2 hours, but they are not running at the moment.
Sometimes there are marches and rallies in Istanbul and elsewhere in the country in response to what Israel is doing, including their more recent invasion of Lebanon. If you do come across a rally, most official government websites advise you not to linger. It’s a good suggestion as emotions can run high and you don’t want to get caught up in anything. If police or army personnel tell you to move along, do as they say. On a more practical note, when marches do take place streets can be shut down and public transport rerouted, so if you have to get anywhere in a hurry (like Istanbul airport) best steer clear.
Right now, my neighbours and friends here on the Asian side of Istanbul and other parts of the city are going about their lives as normal. I’ve just come back a break and other than an ID check on the bus the trip was uneventful. Security checks are the norm on intercity bus travel in Turkey, but I’m aware for people who don’t live here and have little or no experience of what Turkey is like, the news being spread on social media and elsewhere might make them think twice about whether to go through with holiday plans in the place I call home.
I think what I originally wrote in 2016 in response to a woman who admires my writing and contacted me via a DM on my Inside Out In Istanbul Facebook page still applies. She had a hotel reservation on the European side of Istanbul for the week after a bombing in 2016, and wanted my opinion on whether it was safe to travel to Turkey. She was a woman travelling solo but it wasn’t her first visit here, so she knew the layout of the city, how crowded the streets can be, and that comparing security in Turkey with that in other countries is pointless. After all, national security forces haven’t stop attacks elsewhere in the world.
I’m not a trite ‘I could get hit by a bus tomorrow so why worry?’ type. Even given how insane Istanbul traffic is at times, in that scenario, one has the choice to look both ways before crossing. A bombing doesn’t give you that option. However I can’t agree with the flipside which says it’s far too dangerous to travel to this part of the world at the moment so you shouldn’t come.
How to decide if it’s safe to travel to Turkey
One way to decide if it’s safe to travel to Turkey it to check what your government says. I don’t monitor Australia’s travel warnings for Turkey regularly, but when I looked to update this post, they were no different from a few years ago. They warn Australians to exercise a high degree of caution overall (sensible advice for many countries these days), to not travel within ten kilometres of the border with Syria (given how little is there, why would you?) and to reconsider your need to visit Hakkarı and Şırnak (neither of which have ever been tourist destinations to my knowledge).
Depending on where you’re from, check with your own government’s foreign office. Some will say much the same as Australia and don’t explicitly say it is not safe to travel to Turkey.
This latter point is important in terms of the consequences if you do decide to cancel your holiday plans. At the moment, unless your travel insurance covers you for unexpected cancellations, you won’t get your money back if you decide not to come to Turkey. However if your government does change their warning and state that travel to Turkey is unsafe, then you would be entitled to a refund.
In summary, if you’re after a definitive answer as to whether you should come to Turkey now, I can’t give you one. I live here. My idea of feeling safe might be your it’s too dangerous and my comfort levels set at too much risk-taking for you. Only you know how you feel. What I will say is make sure you have travel insurance and be prepared (mentally and financially) to change your plans should the need arise. Additionally, register with your consulate so you can receive warnings about which places to avoid, and how to keep safe should something happen.
As for that woman on Facebook, the one who asked me what I thought, she got back to me and thanked me for my kindness. After considering all the possibilities she made up her mind and came as planned, and has visited many times since then.
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Here are my helpful tips for planning your trip to Istanbul and Turkey
For FLIGHTS I like to use Kiwi.com.
Don’t pay extra for an E-VISA. Here’s my post on everything to know before you take off.
However E-SIM are the way to go to stay connected with a local phone number and mobile data on the go. Airalo is easy to use and affordable.
I’m a big advocate of public transport, but know it’s not suitable for everyone all the time. When I need to be picked up from or get to Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport, I use one of these GetYourGuide website AIRPORT TRANSFERS.
ACCOMMODATION: When I want to find a place to stay I use Booking.com.
CITY TOURS & DAY TRIPS: Let me guide you around Kadikoy with my audio walking tour Stepping back through Chalcedon or venture further afield with my bespoke guidebook Istanbul 50 Unsung Places. I know you’ll love visiting the lesser-known sites I’ve included. It’s based on using public transport as much as possible so you won’t be adding too much to your carbon footprint. Then read about what you’ve seen and experienced in my three essay collections and memoir about moving to Istanbul permanently.
Browse the GetYourGuide website or Viator to find even more ways to experience Istanbul and Turkey with food tours, visits to the old city, evening Bosphorus cruises and more!
However you travel, stay safe and have fun! Iyi yolculuklar.
Hi I am an Indian living here in Turkey and I am constantly asked the same question. My answer always is, there is no place in the world one can feel completely safe today so Turkey is as safe or unsafe as London, Paris, Mumbai or New York. But living here myself I often question my own safety in a country where the political situation is so unstable.