Travelers to Turkey should follow the usual safety precautions with a few extra steps:
Always be aware of your surroundings and have your passport, money, phone with you in case of an emergency. Get close to your embassy.
Check your country’s state or state department website regularly for up-to-date and new alerts on political developments and military action.
If your country’s government offers a system to deliver the latest security updates via text or email, consider signing up for it.
Prints in Turkey
Turkey has laws that prohibit or limit criticism of the Government, and arrests of journalists (including foreign correspondents) have increased significantly under President Erdogan – according to some reports, the country ranks first in the world for such arrests. The government has arrested some users of the messaging app ByLock (banned in Turkey after the 2016 coup attempt) for alleged ties to terrorist groups.
Some have been detained for social media posts criticizing Turkey’s military actions – even liking or retweeting an anti-government post can be enough to garner attention. Human rights activists were also detained.
To be safe, avoid discussing Turkey’s military and political actions in public or when you just meet. Do not make social media posts on such topics or use messaging functions or apps to discuss them while in the country.
Some Websites Banned in Turkey
Booking.com does not allow you to book your stay in Turkey if you are in Turkey.
Unable to access PayPal from Turkey. You may find it difficult to do some business transactions without accessing your PayPal account. The good news is that if you have the PayPal mobile app, you can access your PayPal account through it.
Life in Turkey A few bad sides of Turkey, let’s create a dream and beauties of living in Turkey. The world’s oldest temple Göbeklitepe, the two most important places in the ancient world, Efes and Halicarnassus, St. Peter’s Church, Turkey is a country where you can feel history, including the world’s oldest tin mine. There are 491 blue flag beaches in Turkey. Moreover, the world’s only blue flag lake is in Turkey: Lake Van. There is said to be a monster living in this lake, beware!
Talking to Locals in Turkey
Turkish people are known for their friendliness – you will no doubt be offered many cups of tea and encouraged to sit and talk for a while.
Turks are also proud of their homeland, as can be seen from the dominance of the Turkish flag everywhere. According to Turkish tradition, the foreigner who comes to the door is considered as “God’s guest” for three days. Prepare to be surprised by the hospitality of the Turks!
