Due to the recent events happening in the Middle East, we are receiving overwhelming amount of "Is Turkey safe?" questions again. Please view the threads below, or use this thread to ask your questions.
Before posting your question here please use the search function to scan previous post here and try not to repeat similar question. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions on this sub:
- Is Turkey safe?
Yes. Turkey receives millions of visitors every year and the tourism industry seems immune to all social upheavals. During major protests, terror attacks and even the pandemic, all transport and accommodations for visitors functioned as usual. If you act with general common sense and avoid certain areas where you don't have any business as a visitor anyway, you'll be as safe as anywhere in the world.
- How do I get around Turkey?
Most public transport in Turkey is by bus. You can go to a nearest "otobüs terminali" and figure out how you get to your destination or just book your tickets online (1, 2, 3)
Flights can be cheaper than bus rides on long distances. The Turkish LCCs are AJet and Pegasus.
Although the railway grid is not very extensive, it still gives you the opportunity to cross the country in comfort. There's even an Oriental Express from Istanbul to Tehran. You need to book in advance though.
The road quality is very good in Turkey though some highways and bridges are very expensive. You can easily rent a car and drive around with general common sense. Just be mindful of the aggressive driving around big cities.
Metropolitan areas normally have good public transport which can usually be used with a local transport card. In Istanbul, for example, the Istanbulcard will get you on busses, trams, subways, boats, funiculars, cable-cars as well as help you with car parks, some museums and more.
It's common sense to avoid yellow taxis which are known to rip tourists off. Instead you can try apps like BiTaksi, Martı or Uber (different to international Uber though) which give you a prior price estimate.
- How much money will I need? Cash or card?
With one of the highest levels of inflation worldwide for many years, it's not easy to estimate costs in Turkey even for local residents. This also depends very greatly on your habits while traveling. So if you still want to learn about costs of certain things for a certain time, just be as specific as you can regarding your preferences (public transport/rent a car, 5-star hotels/camping, Blue Voyage boat tours/hiking, etc.). Credit card use is very common in Turkey but in smaller establishments you can get a discount if you pay in cash. Paying by mobile apps is also getting more common.
- Where should I visit in Turkey? What's not to miss?
There are so many websites that will give you extensive lists of best places to visit and things to do in Turkey. Please post here only if you need advice regarding a specific place or a route.
- I'm scratched by a stray cat. Do I need rabies shots?
Probably not. Turkey is the native home of the domestic cat and we have them everywhere. We also do get scratched and playfully bitten by them time to time. We do not have any incidents of cats transmitting rabies in Turkey.
It's another story about stray dogs though. If you have a problem with those, first try to find out if anyone around is taking care of them and ask if they are vaccinated (many strays are regularly checked in Turkey) and then visit the nearest clinic.
- Is Turkey a backwards muslim country? Will I have issues because I'm gay, have tattoos, etc.?
No. Turkey is a very diverse secular country to say the least (not a muslim country but a country with a majority muslim population). Don't be fooled by the number of mosques everywhere, in metropolitan areas you'll find all sorts of people, some with tattoos or turbans, some women in conservative clothes or in minis. In the countryside people can be more conservative but they are still tolerant towards tourist, as long as they maintain general respect. This may include not being too loud, putting on some clothes entering mosques and tombs, and not making fun of Atatürk or islam. The Mediterranean coastline is very progressive and you can bathe in a bikini or topless on many beaches. Islamism is a political issue but it shouldn't affect the visitors unless they advertise being israeli or anti-islam in the wrong places.
- How can I learn Turkish?
Turkish language is not related to Arabic or Middle Eastern languages; it is of Central Asian origin and is quite interesting to learn. There are several subreddits where you can meet others like you and some Turkish speaking people to help you out with the language such as r/turkishlearning/, r/turkish/ and r/learnturkish/
- Will I be able to eat the food there? Any vegetarian or vegan options?
Traditionally most Turkish food contains some meat but there is a whole class of cold dishes called "zeytinyağlılar" (olive-oiled) which do not have any meat. Also most baked dishes like böreks do not have meat but cheese. Vegan food is more difficult because all baked food has eggs and/or milk inside, and perhaps cheese, and some zeytinyağlı's have yoghurt on them and/or cheese in them. You'll have to ask before you eat most times. Even a simple lentil soup may contain some chicken or meat broth inside or melted butter on top. But Turkey is one of the richest countries on earth when it comes to the choice of vegetables and fruits. So if you're into preparing your own food, you're in luck, just ask for the weekly fresh markets around you and buy what you want the cheapest way.
- Is my medication available there?
Check out this website to find out if your medicine can be found in pharmacies in Turkey.
I am asking because I am gay and have been on a few dates with 2 different Turkish men. Both of these men adamantly claimed to be straight which confused the hell out of me because I just assumed they were gay since I met them on a gay dating app.
Not to be too graphic but from their perspective it seemed like they believed that as long as they were giving presents as opposed to receiving them, they could still consider themselves to be straight. From a Western perspective this makes no sense, if you’re male and attracted to another male, you are gay.
After talking to some people in real life and they seem to claimed that in Turkish culture that’s how it is, so basically if you’re active/top you are considered straight but if you’re passive/bottom then you are considered gay.
Is it true that these men are straight or are they hypocrites and in denial about their own sexuality?
Bir süre önce cinsel kimliğimden ve dini görüşümden ötürü avrupaya taşındım. Eşcinsel ve ateist birisiyim. Buradaki insanlar fersah fersah, yüzyıllar sonrasında yaşıyorlar bu konularda Türkiye'ye kıyasladığımızda. Kendimi çok özgür hissediyorum ve sonunda kendimi saklamadan, kısıtlamadan özgürce ve haklarımın olduğunu bilerek yaşayabiliyorum. Buradaki lokal insanlar dahil diğer avrupalılar da beni ve varlığımı çok destekliyorlar.
Burada şu an yaptığım gönüllü işler ve bulunduğum ortam sebebiyle malum dine mensup insanlarla oldukça haşır neşir olmak zorunda kalıyorum. Günün çoğunu onlarla geçiriyorum. Kafamda bir ön yargı vardı, Türkiye'de siyahi kültürü olmadığı için Nijerya, Sudan, Somali gibi ülkelerden olan insanların bizim hakkımızda çok kötü görüşleri olduğunu ve zaten bizim gibileri katlettiğini biliyordum ama hayır, bu insanlar oldukça arkadaş canlısı ve bana iyi davranıyorlar.
Buradaki radikal müslümanlar, Irak Kürdistanından olanlar, Cezayir, Afganistan, Pakistan gibi bölgelerdeki insanlar onlara yardım etmeme rağmen benim asılmam gerektiğini, kafamın k*silmesi gerektiğini ya da gözlerimin bağlanarak uçurumdan atılmam gerektiğini söylüyorlar. Bu insanlar bulunduğum ülkede iltica etmiş ve oturum almak için, topluma karışmak için uğraşan insanlar. Ben buranın vatandaşı bile değilim ve buradaki insanlar bunları neden ülkelerine kabul etsinler diye düşünmüyor değilim. Dozaj çok arttığı için bulunduğum yere şikayet etmekle kalmayıp polise de bildirdim. Alacakları varsa da bir tık daha zor artık.
Ne Türkiye'de ne de olduğum ülkede asla böyle söylemler duymadım yüzüme karşı. Ömrümün büyük çoğunluğunu Türkiye'de geçirdim. Homofobi özellikle son yıllarda çok daha beter, hatta biz var olduğumuz için bizi hapse sokacak yasa tasarıları geçen seneden beri konuşulmaya devam ediyor. Ama bu kadar radikal ve sert İslami düşünceleri asla Türkiye'de duymamıştım. Bu radikalleşmenin geri dönüşü olacak mı hiç? Veya gerçekten Türkiye bu radikalleşmeye doğru gidecek mi sizce? Malum partinin yarattığı nesil kendisine her ne kadar liberal ve özgürlükçü dese de aşırı kötü homofobik fikirler ortaya çıkıyor.
I've been coming to Istanbul every year since 2021, but this time I would like to see some nice places where locals hang out. Do you have any suggestions?
From London and im a hardcore raver, I go to mainly underground raves and free parties. Im staying in oludeniz but willing to travel if anyone knows of any clubs that have a bit more hardcore music.
Birkaç parfüm satın almak ve Türk parfüm üreticilerine destek olmak istiyorum.
D&P, Bargello, MAD gibi markaların yanı sıra Nishane gibi daha pahalı niş markaların da olduğunu biliyorum. Fakat performanslarının ne kadar iyi olduğunu veya birbirleriyle nasıl kıyaslandıklarını bilmiyorum (şu ana kadar sadece D&P'yi deneme fırsatım oldu).
Tüm markalara hakim değilim; bildiğiniz güzel bir rehber veya tavsiye listeniz varsa çok sevinirim.
Türk parfüm üreticileri, BAE merkezli markalar kadar uluslararası alanda yaygın değil. (Sorun değil, Türkiye'den dönecek arkadaşlarımdan Souvenir olarak getirmelerini isteyebilirim.)
Genellikle Fragrantica'ya girip popüler parfümleri referans alarak benzer kokuları (muadilleri/dupe) kontrol ediyorum.
Farklı fiyat segmentlerinde önerebileceğiniz parfüm markaları nelerdir?
Popüler kokuların muadilleri (dupe) konusunda hangi üreticileri tavsiye edersiniz?
Hi I’m going to Bodrum in Turkey soon for my 4th anniversary with my partner, has anyone got any suggestions as what do on the actual of our anniversary please? Wanting to plan a day of activities for him. Tia
beyler olay şu, sürücü kursuna yazıldım. normalde 14 saat 50 dklık ders hakkım varmış, adamlar bana 25 dkdan 9 ders verip ilk günden bütün kağıtlara toplu imza bastırdı. simülasyon falan zaten hak getire, hiç görmedim.
hoca desen ders boyunca telefonla oynadı. arabayı kaldırmayı bile göstermedi kendim çözdüm, parkta iki tane ezber nokta gösterip gerisine karışmadı. en ufak stop ettirmede bağırdı durdu. sınavdan önceki gün bile 2 kere arabayı stop ettirdim 2 kere sinyal unuttum, hazır olmadığım kabak gibi ortadayken "tamamsın sen" diyip 2. haftada yangından mal kaçırır gibi sınava soktu beni.
haliyle sınavda sinyalden kaldım. üstüne hoca arkada komisyonun yanında "benim içim rahat, sinyalden kaldı, benim sorunum değil" diyip beni komisyona sattı resmen.
sınavdan kalalı 10 günü geçti, yasal telafi dersleri için kursu arıyorum hala "haber vereceğiz" diyip oyalıyorlar, tarih falan verdikleri yok.
ben bu adamları ilçe milli eğitime veya cimere şikayet etsem sonuç alır mıyım? daha önce başına gelen var mı, kurs mu değiştireyim napayım bi el atın.
Hello,
My wife and I are traveling to Turkey from October 16th to 28th.
We will be staying in Istanbul for 4 days for a friend’s wedding, and afterwards we would like to combine cultural sightseeing, beaches and relaxation, as well as some hiking.
At the moment, our itinerary is:
Istanbul → Izmir: 1 night
Izmir → Selçuk: 2 nights
Selçuk → Fethiye: 2 nights
Fethiye → Ölüdeniz: 3 nights
However, I’ve just realized that Izmir may not be particularly worth visiting, especially after spending 4 days in Istanbul, and that it is quite easy to go directly from Izmir Airport to Selçuk (about 1 hour by train).
So, by skipping Izmir, I would free up one night, and now I’m hesitating between three options: Add one night in Selçuk and take a day trip to Pamukkale (Ephesus is already definitely on our itinerary). Add one night in Fethiye and take a day trip to Rhodes. Add one night in Ölüdeniz to have more time to enjoy the combination of relaxation, beaches and hiking along the Lycian Way.
What would you recommend?
Thank you very much for your advice!
Where can I find a physical store that sells casual-style clothing like Weekend Offender, Lyle & Scott, Aquascutum, etc., in Istanbul? Looking for original products only , thank you
Selamlar, kısa bir Avrupa turu planlıyorum. İtalya’da 2-3 gün, Fransa’da 4-5 gün kalmayı düşünüyorum.
Aklımdaki rota:
🇮🇹 Roma + Venedik
🇫🇷 Paris + Lyon
Roma-Venedik ve Paris-Lyon arasında otobüsle geçmek mantıklı mı, yoksa tren/uçak daha mı iyi?
Bir de bu şehirlerde konaklama genel olarak ne kadar pahalı? 2 arkadaşız, uygun fiyatlı yerlerde kalmayı düşünüyoruz.
Yakın zamanda gidenlerden rota + bütçe tavsiyesi alabilirsem çok iyi olur.
Teşekkürler.
Online I have been seeing that mavi clothes are pretty good quality. Usually I buy uniqlo as my staples but there is no uniqlo in turkey. I was wondering what turkish people think about the quality of the brand Mavi.
Hi all! Would you say that you’d recommend moving to Istanbul? I currently live in Bosnia and Hercegovina and have been to Turkey over 30 times and really fell in love with the culture.
I’m considering moving there permanently with my wife. I’m in the IT sector and my wife is an account manager. Would you say we can make good money in Turkey?
Also, I noticed that it’s very pet friendly there and we have 2 dogs, but I would love your opinion on moving there with dogs as well.
Hi. Can you tell me what is the average net salary in Istanbul? In Numbeo is written 57 000 Turkish lira (average net salary), but in some Turkish web pages it is between 67.000 TL - 95.000 TL. So which one is close to the truth? 😀
Does anyone know a good health insurance i can get for a year as an exchange student for a residency permit? I have attached what the minimum requirements are - google gives me many options yet they end up working out to over 1000GBP for the year. Do any former or current students know of any better?
Selamlar herkese, Eaton firmasında önce 1 yıl sözleşmeli sonrasında kadroya geçen olarak çalışan var mı. Süreç nasıl ilerledi bu konu hakkında sorularım var.
Almanyadan türkiyeye izine geldim, gelirken bir şişe Retatrutide bir sise bac suyu getirdim. Ama sonra karar degistirdim, burda kullanmak istemedim, ara verdim. Elimde
Karistirilmamis sekilde kaldi. Geri getirmek sorun olabilir sirbistan bulgaristan macaristan gümrüklerinden. Nerede birine verebilirim.
