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Many people ask
me if it's safe to visit
Turkey now.
Here's what I tell them:
I think it's important to judge travel
safety rationally,
not emotionally.
Headlines and news
bulletins about politically-inspired
incidents of violence make a strong
impression, but they actually make
very little difference to life on
the street in Turkey. Here's an excerpt
from a TTP user who was in Istanbul
during the recent events:
"We heard about them on our last day,
but never felt in any danger
during our entire trip. Almost everyone we
talked to was friendly and cordial
and helpful. We love the Turkish people
and their nation and look forward to
returning. It's a fantastic place and
it's sad that they've been trying to
get into the EU for almost 30 years
with no success. If any country deserves
it, they do. Turkey has more signs
in English than in the Czech Republic!"
New York, Washington, London, Madrid—many
of the world's finest cities have experienced
violent incidents in recent years.
Would you visit these cities? If so,
why not Istanbul?
Here's the salient point: for any
foreign visitor—indeed,
for anyone in Turkey—the
risk of injury from any sort
of political event
or violence is very low. Almost
vanishingly low.
The true dangers of travel, domestic
or foreign, are such things as highway
accidents, hurricanes,
lightning strikes, earthquakes,
etc. Statistically, you are more likely
to be bitten by a shark while swimming
or to be injured while skiing than
you are to suffer from a terrorist
attack.
Here are
some statistics indicating
that travelers are more liable to
be harmed in bus, train and airplane
accidents, earthquake, lightning
strike, skiing accidents, etc. than
by political activity.
These more mundane dangers should
carry much more weight when you make
your travel decisions.
Most visitors find that they have
concerns about safety
only before their
trip, and after they arrive
at their destination they experience
the normal
daily life of the place, and don't
think of danger at all—unless
there's a headline.
All that having been said, you should make
a decision that you can be comfortable
with. If you believe that
uncertainty will spoil
your trip, you should postpone it
until a time when you will feel comfortable
going.
As for me, I have traveled in Turkey
for nearly 40 years and the
worst thing I've encountered is a few
stomach bugs (and those a
long time ago). I wouldn't
hesitate to go to any of the
normal tourist destinations, and I
wouldn't consider myself in any
danger beyond the normal ones incident
to travel.
Here is the US
Department of State's Consular
Information Sheet on Turkey,
with every possible warning and caution.
Read the TTP
Safety Page, and make
travel decisions you can be comfortable
with.
—Tom
Brosnahan
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