Is Turkey safe? A 21-year-old solo female traveller tells all!

Earlier this summer, I spent fifteen days alone in Turkey. I saw the hot air balloons of Cappadocia; I climbed the glistening travertines of Pamukkale; I wandered through the back alleys of Istanbul. Occasionally I was accompanied, but for the most part, I was on my own. My loved ones – knowing that I am not the extroverted type who makes thousands of friends wherever they travel – were concerned about my going on this trip. A number of them tried to discourage me from booking the flights. When this endeavour failed, they insisted that I send a message each day while I was away, to confirm that I was still alive. This request I was more than happy to comply with.

Looking back, though, I wonder why they – and eventually I, imagining their dread to be rational – were so worried. The press is, of course, full of horrifying stories, but aren’t we all, at this point, familiar with the idea of sensationalism? Besides, is there any country in the world that can claim to have upheld peace and stability for its entire existence? Can any boast a perfect political scene? My point is that the things we hear or read about should not always be taken at face value.

My aim, in today’s article, is to debunk – or, at the very least, to call into question – a few of the misconceptions that were fed to me before I set off for Turkey. My experience is, of course, entirely individual, so I cannot promise that what I say will apply to you. However, if someone out there is looking for that one extra push, I hope that this post will give them the confidence they need to book their trip. Without further ado, then, let’s get busting some myths!

Terrorism

One of the things I was most worried about before going to Turkey was terrorism. I knew that nothing was going to happen – the probability of dying in an attack is pretty much negligible, and I was coming from a country where terrorism posed no less great a threat – but after reading one horror story too many, I began to have my doubts. Would I be at risk in the bigger cities? Would staying relatively close to the Syrian border prove problematic?

The answer to both of these questions was, of course, no. I was totally fine the entire time, and if  anything, I felt more safe in Istanbul than I would in, say, London. Not only were there policemen scattered everywhere, but also all the underground stations and airports had security gates. Turkey was, then, as secure as I could have hoped for it to be, and I – who have a bit of an irrational fear of death – could not have felt more at ease while there.

Politics

It’s safe to say that the political scene in Turkey is a little on the unstable side: many citizens are unhappy with the way their country is being run, and will say as much if probed by foreign visitors. However, while rallies and military coups are not unheard of, it’s definitely not worth cancelling your holiday plans, just because of the possibility of one occurring while you’re visiting.

I didn’t witness any rioting in the two weeks that I was there, and if I’d heard that anything was going on, I would simply have altered my plans so as to avoid the protestors. Marches, parades, etc. tend to be pretty contained, so you should have no problem steering clear of them, should any take place during your trip.

Turkish men

When I told people I was jetting off to Turkey alone, one of the most common reactions was ‘are you sure you shouldn’t take someone else – preferably a man – with you?’. This didn’t really get to me until a few days before my departure. Before then, I’d been pretty confident in my own abilities to ward off men; now, I was starting to wonder if I’d made some terrible mistake by ignoring my friends’ and relatives’ warnings.

Having now been to Turkey, I can see why people were concerned. I did get a lot of male attention while I was there – you’ll know, if you followed my ‘Touring Turkey’ series, that I was asked on at least one date a day – and a lot of the locals I met were surprised to see me travelling unaccompanied. However, things were, by and large, a lot less dodgy than I’d been led to believe. Most men would leave me alone if I politely but firmly asked them to, and I always felt perfectly safe wandering around, no matter where I was, what time of the day it was, or how immodestly I was dressed.

If you’re a female traveller – solo or accompanied – please don’t be put off by what you hear about Turkish men. Yes, they may be a little more forward than the men you’re used to, but most will have the decency to bugger off if you’re not showing interest back. Incidents of sexual assault are certainly not unheard of, but 99% of women will get through their trip without falling victim to one.

If you are still a little apprehensive, however, here are a few things you might like to do to ease your mind a bit:

1. Always let someone know where you’re going (this could be anyone from a member of staff in your hostel, to a loved one back home)

2. Dress modestly (sad as it is, covering your shoulders, chest, and legs will significantly lower your risk of being harassed and/or assaulted)

3. Try to go out and do things with other people (safety in numbers, and all that!). Check out this article for tips on how to make new friends while you're travelling.

4. Carry around a rape alarm or pepper spray (you never know when you might need it)

5. Make sure your phone is always sufficiently charged (in case you need to call for help)

6. Don’t entertain people’s advances (if you’re not interested in speaking to someone, just be frank with them, then walk away from the situation)

7. Only travel in registered taxis (and make sure you’re the one who’s ordering them)

Turkish drivers

Turkish drivers have a reputation for being slightly reckless, and incidents on the road certainly aren’t a rare occurrence. However, if you need to travel by car or bus at any point, this is not something you need to be terribly worried about. Some motorists may do slightly illegal things – one bus driver I encountered, for example, only put his seatbelt on when driving past police cars, then immediately took it off again, while another kept texting someone, resulting in the bus swerving out of lane – but in general, they will drive in a controlled (if relatively fast) manner, maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles.

If you’re brave enough to drive, yourself, while in Turkey, I’d suggest sticking to the slow lane until you’re quite confident that you can handle the faster ones. Be sure also to have a phone on you at all times, just in case something goes wrong, and you need to call for help.

Crime

Crime levels tend to be pretty low in Turkey – I certainly didn’t encounter any problems during my trip – but if you’re in a big city or in a particularly touristy part of the country, it’s important to stay alert, just in case pickpockets are out and about. Keep your valuables out of sight (or, if possible, leave them locked away in your hotel room), and be sure to report any incidents to the police.

Instances of sexual assault are also no more common in Turkey than in other parts of Europe. I’d read about women being attacked in the valleys of Cappadocia, but the truth is that these things happen even in the safest of countries, and during my own solo hikes, I certainly had no such problems. Be vigilant, by all means, then, but don’t let horror stories like this put you off from visiting, or from doing things unaccompanied.

Rabid animals

There are a lot of stray cats and dogs roaming the streets of Turkey, and some do unfortunately carry rabies. However, the likelihood of tourists – or anyone, for that matter – actually contracting the disease is really pretty minimal. It is, then, fine to get up close to these animals: most won’t budge, let alone sink their teeth into you. If you do get bitten, however, it’s important to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Again, there’s a high probability that everything will be totally fine, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Natural disasters

Another things that fits into the ‘rare but not unheard of’ category is natural disasters. I was lucky not be affected by any, but a few weeks after getting back, I heard that an earthquake had struck Istanbul. (Thankfully, it wasn’t too destructive: eight people were injured and one mosque lost a minaret, but that was the extent of the damage.) However, while it is certainly worth getting yourself acquainted with all the necessary safety procedures for such circumstances, these sorts of things occur far too rarely for it to be worth avoiding Turkey solely because of them.

Food poisoning

Before my trip, my mother made me promise to pack some diarrhoea tablets. I scoffed at this suggestion, thinking it totally absurd, but my goodness am I glad that I took her advice in the end. Turkish food is pretty rich and can be difficult for newbies to digest. Plus, as in any country, you can never be sure that your meal has been prepared in a hygienic environment. I had two really awful bouts of food poisoning while I was away, one of which carried on long after I’d returned, and resulted in my losing four kilograms!

Unfortunately, I have no idea what triggered either of them. Having said that, I do think I could have maintained a slightly healthier diet during my trip: looking back on the meals I ate out there, I realise that my consumption of fruit and vegetables left a lot to be desired! My number one tip, then, would be to log what you eat during your trip. That way, you’ll be able to check that you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need, and you’ll be able to work out which foods your body disagrees with.

Oh, and make sure to pack those diarrhoea tablets! Changing location will probably unsettle your stomach a bit anyway, and even the most cautious of eaters can't be totally sure that no nasty surprises are awaiting them...

Book your trip today!

Despite often making its way onto ‘world’s most dangerous countries’ lists, Turkey is, in fact, no less safe a nation than any of its European counterparts. Call me naive, but I never once felt even remotely scared while there, and that’s not something I can say about every place I’ve been to.

If any of you out there are thinking of visiting this beautiful country, please do not let the media – or any other unreliable information source – get in the way of your decision. I know that not all tourists will have been as fortunate as me, and I won’t deny that Turkey has its downsides, but I urge you to look beyond these, and see the nation for the fascinating, culture rich place that it is. The world is your oyster, if only you’ll allow it to be, so get out there, and see all that it has to offer!

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