Is it safe to travel to Türkiye in 2023? (IN A FEW WORDS) – Discover Istanbul

Türkiye, the bridge between two continents: Europe and Asia. On one side, Middle East; in the other one, Balkan countries. To the south, the Mediterranean Sea; to the north, the Black Sea: we are in the center of everything. Therefore, it is not surprising that even Napoleon Bonaparte said: «If the earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital«. Türkiye’s geopolitical location provides a great wealth of history, cultures, traditions and architecture for travelers to discover. However, unfortunately for this reason in every international crisis, the security of the country, especially for tourism, is questioned. In this article, we will do our best to explain honestly and realistically the country’s safety for travelers in 2023answering some typical questions we receive from several tourists.

How is the COVID-19 situation in Türkiye?

The past was left behind, forgotten. Words like “masks”, “quarantine” and “PCR test” are a thing of the past. Like other countries around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkey implemented various precautions and limitations, especially for tourism and travelers. If you want more information about how we have dealt with this situation, you can read our article on the COVID-19 situation in Türkiye. Currently, there are no official restrictions for travelers related to COVID-19. Furthermore, we want to highlight that approximately 70% of Turkey’s population is vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID vaccinea percentage higher than that of some countries such as Morocco, Dominican Republic, Hungary, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Bolivia, Croatia and Egypt.

Can I be robbed on the street in Türkiye?

In Turkish we have a saying: «Garbage stings the eye that avoids it.» (literally translated «Sand gets into an overprotected eye.«) which has a meaning if you are very afraid of something, it will happen to you anyway. So don’t worry unnecessarily, regarding “stealing” probably in Türkiye There is no higher risk than any other country in Europe.

Robbery with violencecommon in some places in Latin America, It’s not a frequent occurrence here. However, caution is essential, and leaving bags unattended in crowded places, such as Sultanahmet Square, can result in losses. In densely populated Turkish cities like Istanbul, with almost 20 million inhabitants, the risk in crowded places may be slightly higher, but does not differ significantly from what might be experienced in cities like Barcelona. It is essential to maintain caution, especially on public transport and in bazaars.

Unfortunately, Deception is more common than theft in Türkiye. What you can read about this article of ours to avoid possible scams. Some stores even use the slogan “Here we cheat less» in the Grand Bazaar. Therefore, it is recommended Be attentive in stores and restaurants, check prices beforehand and prefer to buy in places with fixed prices. Taxis can also pose problems, a topic we address in detail in this article of ours.

Is there terrorism in Türkiye?

The word “terrorism» is derived from «terror«, which constitutes its motive and main objective. The main goal of terrorism is not necessarily to kill people, but to create fear. Istanbul, as a large city located at the center of everything, has experienced terrorist attacks in the past, as have other large cities such as London, Manchester, Paris, Barcelona and New York. Since it would be absurd to cancel a trip to Barcelona due to a past terrorist attack, the same applies to Istanbul.

Curious Fact: More people die from falling out of bed (relevant article) and drown while bathing (relevant article) than by terrorism in the United States, a country that is often average in terms of various terrorist attacks. Despite this, it is evident that people do not remember news or cancel their trips when someone dies from falling out of bed, but they do so in the case of terrorist attacks.

Do conflicts affect how Russia – Ukraine o Israel – Palestine to the safety of traveling to Türkiye?

In the featured image at the top of this article, we have created a map showing the distances from Istanbul to the conflict zones between Russia and Ukraine (Donetsk) and between Israel and Palestine (Gaza): both 1200 kilometers, the same as the distance between Istanbul and Naples or Istanbul and Bratislava. Turkey is not an active party to either of these conflicts and is far enough away to not be affected by attacks in these two areas. The fact that some cruise lines, such as MSC, are changing their routes to Istanbul instead of Israel clearly supports this argument. On MSC Sinfonia’s next eight 11-night sailings, Haifa (Israel) will be replaced by Istanbul (Turkey).

Well, anyway, is it safe to travel to Türkiye?

Traveling to another foreign country always involves some risks, as it essentially involves leaving the «comfort zone«, one of the typical experiences of traveling.

We cannot foresee the future, so stating that «absolutely nothing bad is going to happen while you are in Istanbul» would be unrealistic and dishonest. However, in our opinion, Turkey, and especially Istanbul, does not present any higher risk than those associated with traveling to any foreign country. Enjoying the beautiful city of Istanbul and the beautiful country of Turkey is possible by being cautious but without letting fear dominate, since «sand gets into an overprotected eye«.