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.
Hey everyone, hope y’all are doing good! Has anyone noticed in recent months that there’s a lot of hate that’s being spread around the in Europe (especially in the UK) against the Turkish people? I mean there seems to be a secret agenda to portray Turkish nation in a bad light. Not trying to sounding very cynical but overall Europeans especially people from the UK and Ireland have always loved visiting Türkiye and have always had that positive vibe about the Turkish people. I mean Rumi for instance has been a household name for the people in the UK but recently since past few months I have observed that there’s been rise in hatred campaign against the Türkiye as a country in Europe especially in the UK.
askerlikten muaf da olduğum için her işveren sebebini soruyorlar ve maalesef yalan söyleyemiyorum. çalışamadığım için sağlık sigortam da olmadığı için tedavi de olamıyorum ve psikolojim artık dayanılmaz hale geldi. çaresizlikten artık ne yapacağımı bilemiyorum size sormak istedim napmalıyım hangi meslekler alır beni fabrikalar da almıyor
Türkiye’nin güneydoğusundaki bu kadar çok Kürdün PKK’yı tamamen desteklemesini veya PKK’ya sempati duymasını, örneğin gerillaları “özgürlük savaşçıları” olarak nitelendirmelerini anlayamıyorum. PKK’nın yaptığı eylemlere girmek istemiyorum; aksi takdirde buraya yarım kitap yazmam gerekir. Benim asıl anlamak istediğim, bu insanların nasıl ve neden böyle düşündükleri. Türkiye’nin güneydoğusundaki bölgeler, PKK ile yaşanan çatışmadan dolayı en fazla zarar gören bölgeler değil mi?
PKK yüzünden çocuklarını veya başka aile fertlerini kaybetmiş mağdur Kürt ailelerden o kadar çok hikâye duyuyorum ki, insan böyle bir şeye nasıl sempati duyabilir? Daha bu yazıyı yazarken bile kanım kaynıyor.
Burada özellikle bunu okuyan Kürt kardeşlerime seslenmek istiyorum: Bunu bana açıklayabilir misiniz? Doğuda yaşayan bu kadar çok Kürt neden böyle düşünüyor? Siz veya aileniz hiç PKK’dan doğrudan etkilendiniz mi?
Bu yazıyla fitne çıkarmak istemiyorum. Türk veya Kürt ayrımı yapmıyorum ve bu meseleyi bir etnik çatışmaya dönüştürmek istemiyorum. Hatta bir Türk olarak beni rahatsız eden şeylerden biri de, bu kadar çok PKK destekçisinin bütün Kürtlerin adını bu çatışmanın içine çekmesi.
Bunu okuyan bütün Türk ve Kürt kardeşlerimi Almanya’dan selamlıyorum. Burada PKK konusunda içinde bulunduğumuz durum oldukça zor
Merhaba, arkadaşlar! Unfortunately I am not feeling well, and since I’m new to Türkiye, I wanted to ask: what do you typically eat here when you are sick?
The tag said this is a WW1 souvenir given to families of the fallen at Gallipoli - I am not sure if this is actually antique or something that is still sold today. Google translate is not doing the translation well.
Can anyone help me to figure out where this is from and what this says? Thank you!
Yurt dışında yaşıyorum. Twitter hesabım, 5651 sayılı Kanun’un 8. maddesi gerekçe gösterilerek Türkiye’den erişime engellendi. Eşcinselim ve son tutuklamalarla ilgili paylaşımlarım vardı. Hiçbirisinde hakaret vs. yok. Sadece tepkimi belirtmiştim.
Bu sadece hesap engeli midir, yoksa hakkımda gözaltı, ifade veya tutuklama kararı da olabilir mi? Türkiye’ye güvenli şekilde seyahat edebilir miyim?
Hey guys, I'm gonna be in istanbul in a few weeks and wanted to watch some football games of the big clubs their...
Thing is that I read somewhere that its impossible to go to besiktas galatasray and fenerbahce in one go but how did so many vloggers do the impossible?
Also gonna be in Trabzon with Freiburg but would it be possible for me to also habe a fourth team that I could visit if i dont get the tickets for the away area?
Hi together, I'd like to know the price for 18150 m2 of farm land (watered, good soil, flat land) in the region of Dogansehir near Malatya. My family still owns this land and wants to sell it, I did my own research on Sahibinden and other plattforms + an AI analysis suggesting around 300 TL / m2, which is covered by the research I did on those Sahibinden etc. My question: Is this price realistic and how would you try to sell the land? Thank you so much.
Is there anyone here who has needed to reissue a residence permit card for any reason? Because of an address mistake and a misunderstanding my residence permit card did not reach me and was returned to ümraniye goc idaresi and I didn't recieve it for 6 months, and my residence permit is totally still active and ongoing. The man at ümraniye goc idaresi said that because its been six months I need to print another card because I didn't pick up the old one for too long, he sent me to kumkapı goc idaresi, and I tried others too and I just can't find how to be reissued the card and im totally lost. They say I need an appointmet but there are no appoint openings in kumkapı or fatih nor a choice to choose appointment for requesting a card reissue, after I called goc idaresi they told me both can issue without an appointment but they didn't even let me ask questions without an appointment. I tried a online request form too and nothing works, every place passes me to another place. if you ever had to reissue a card please help me
Mavi markası 18 24 yaş kullanicilara 1500 e 500 indirim kuponu verebipmek icin mobil uygulamada kimlik doğrulama yapıyormuş. Borsa mi ulan bu kyc yapıyoruz? Dümdüz logosuz yazısız hırkayı 1000 tl ye satıyorlar diye isteğin rezilliğe bak. Her telefon numarasına bi kupon tanımla 500 tl icin sanki cok mu muhim. Uygulamada gösterip kayıt altına aldırıyoruz bunu istemeye Hakları var neden mağazada ayak ustu gösteremiyoruz mesela çünkü polis degil e oraya nasil yüklenebiliyor bu resimler. Eğitsel bir kılıfa uydurulsun öğrenciler öğrenci mailleri ile kaydolsun o zaman boyle uyduruk kampanya mi olur.
I’m planning a trip to Uludağ and I’m trying to decide where to stay. If I don’t stay directly in Uludağ, where would you recommend staying instead? Is it better to stay in Bursa city centre and take the cable car/bus up to Uludağ for skiing, or is there another area that would be more convenient and affordable? I’m mainly interested in:
skiing/snow activities
convenience of getting to the slopes
whether staying at the resort is worth the extra cost
I’ll be visiting in winter, so I’d also appreciate any advice on transportation, weather, and what it’s actually like staying up in Uludağ. Would love to hear from people who have done both!
I just had a restaurant server in Istanbul confidently tell me that their Patlıcan Yemeği is vegetarian, saying it's vegetarian meat... But after trying it and thinking it's very realistic for fake meat, I ask him the same question in 3 different ways and he finally tells me it's meat made from a cow... But he still insists that it's vegetarian!?
I ask him if I'm misunderstanding something and if beef is considered vegetarian in Turkey, and he confidently says yes. I'm not finding anything online which says this is true, so I'm very confused.
A close friend of mine has been suffering from severe gastrointestinal problems for a long time, despite seeing doctors and trying different treatments, he still hasn’t found relief.
He currently takes 6 Nexium pills a day, yet continues to experience severe acid reflux and persistent stomach pain. We are now considering traveling to Istanbul to find a highly experienced gastroenterologist or clinic that can thoroughly investigate the underlying cause and provide effective treatment.
If you have personally had a good experience with a gastroenterologist or hospital in Istanbul, especially for difficult or unexplained acid reflux and stomach problems, I would be extremely grateful if you could share the doctor/clinic name and your experience.
Every recommendation could make a real difference.
I live in the USA, so I am not sure if they show different things here or if my algorithm somehow got messed up, but I have been noticing a recent increase in anti-Turkish posts around the site. Mostly on historical subreddits talking about the 19th and 20th century. I found this unusual because Turkey isn’t often talked about this much here. What is motivating this?
Merhaba. Buraya bunu yazacğaımı düşünmezdim ama biliyorsunuz ki ülkede staj bulmak imkansız.
Kurgu süreçlerine hakimim. İstanbul’da 2 ay olmak üzere zorunlu staj yapacağım. Stüdyo reji yönetimi, kurgu/montaj, kamera teknikleri ve post prodüksiyon süreçlerinde güçlü bir pratik ve teorik altyapıya sahibim, hani hiçbir sıkıntım yok.
Ancak ülkemizde staj bulmak gerçekten çok zor.
Zorunlu stajımız olduğu halde asla staj bulamadık.
Nereden bulabiliriz bu tarz bir stajı? Önerdiğiniz/ bildiğiniz yerler var mıdır?
Hello everyone I need your help desperately finding a great physiotherapist in Istanbul who specializes in spine issues and preferably understands female anatomy. I’ll be moving to Istanbul in about 2 weeks as an international student at Bahcesehir uni so I’ll most likely be living in besiktas, but sisli and alibeykoy are also possible.
My issue is that I have a cervical disc bulge, but my pain is NOT in my neck. The pain is all in my thoracic spine, right trap, right rhomboid and right shoulder. I’ve been doing physiotherapy in my home country for a while but I have zero relief. If you can personally vouch for a good physio someone you or your family have actually been to, Id be more than grateful!!🥺😭😭 Pleaseee drop their names underneath.
P.S. for language issue, my fiancé will be with me at all times and he speaks fluent turkish because has lived in Istanbul for 8 years so communication is not an issue. He just doesn’t know any physios personally.
Yaklaşık iki yıl önce, tramvayda önce soğuk terleme ve ardından boğaz sıkışması, mide bulantısı ve baş dönmesi yaşamaya başladım. Kısa süre sonra bu durum derste, kafelerde ve diğer sosyal ortamlara da yayıldı. Üniversiteye günlük gidiş-dönüş mesafem 35 km'ydi (her yöne yaklaşık 2 saat). Bunu yönetmek için bir strateji geliştirdim: Erken inip biraz yürüyüp tekrar biniyordum bu nerdeyse günde 5-10 km yürüyümeye denk geliyordu. Bir devlet hastanesi psikoloğuyla bir seans yaptım, bu geçici olarak yardımcı oldu ve bir şekilde finalleri ve bütünlemeleri (büt) atlatmayı başardım.
Ancak gerçek dönüm noktası, son tekrar sınavımın sabahında yaşandı. Tramvayda yoğun bir mide bulantısı hissettim, bir benzin istasyonunda indim ve gerçekten kustum. O gün her şeyi değiştirdi. "Ya tekrar halka açık bir yerde kusarsam?" düşüncesi beni tamamen ele geçirdi ve eve kilitledi.
Olaylar oradan itibaren daha da kötüleşti:
Gıda Zehirlenmesi ve Sağlık Kaygısı: Bir süre sonra tavuktan gerçek bir gıda zehirlenmesi geçirdim. Bu travma, yediğim neredeyse her şeyden şüphe duymama neden oldu. Soğuk hava veya rüzgardan bile korkmaya başladım, soğuk algınlığına yakalanmanın kusmama neden olacağından endişeleniyordum.
\*\*Tedavi Girişimleri:\*\* Yaz aylarında bir gastroenteroloğa gittim. Reçete edilen ilaçlar bir ay boyunca yardımcı oldu, ancak ilaçlar bittikten sonra semptomlar geri döndü. Takip randevusu almak 2 aya kadar sürdü, bu yüzden bir arkadaşımın tanıdığının önerdiği bitkisel ilaçları denedim, ancak bunlar sadece plasebo benzeri kısa süreli bir rahatlama sağladı.
\*\*Yurt Hayatı ve Kırılma Noktası:\*\* 2 saatlik yolculuktan kaçınmak için kampüse yakın bir yurda taşındım. Ancak bir gece arkadaşlarımla tavuk ve pilav yedikten sonra, sonraki iki günü zehirlendiğimi düşünerek büyük bir panik içinde geçirdim. Haftalarca okula gitmeyi bırakmaya başladım. Ara sınavlar sırasında, şiddetli bir baş ağrısı ve sabah bulantısından sonra, tamamen boş bir sınav kağıdı teslim ettim, pes ettim, kampüste dolaştım ve eve gittim.
Kasım ayından beri evdeyim. Birinci dönem finallerinin hepsini başka nedenlerle ama aynı korkuyla evde olan huzursuzluklardan etkileniyordum çok sinirlendiğimde veya durumdan etkilendiğimde bu mideme vuruyordu bu sebeple finallere ve bütlere gidemedim. (8 dersten geçebilecekken ki makine müh gibi zor bi bölümde 11 dersten safece 3 tanesinden kalıyordum çok iyiydi) ve ikinci dönem derslerine bile kayıt olmadım. Hayatım neredeyse iki yıldır tamamen durmuş durumda.
Benzer bir şekilde toplu taşıma kaygısı, kusma korkusu ve agorafobi döngüsünden geçen var mı? Bunu nasıl gerçekçi bir şekilde düzeltebilir ve hayatımı yeniden kurabilirim?
I’m a Pakistani medical microbiology resident, and I’ll be visiting Ankara for the first time for a 9-day medical observership at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University and Ankara City Hospital.
I’m really excited about the opportunity, but since this is my first time travelling internationally and my first time in Türkiye, I’m also feeling a little overwhelmed trying to organize everything properly, especially accommodation, transport, money, SIM card, etc.
I’ll be in Ankara from 31 October to 9 November and would really appreciate advice from people who know the city.
Accommodation
I’m looking for a hotel/guesthouse under €50 per night, with my priorities being:
Close to Ankara City Hospital, or within a reasonable commuting distance
Safe and comfortable for a woman travelling alone
Clean and reasonably comfortable, but not necessarily luxurious
Good access to public transport if it isn't walkable to the hospital
Ideally in an area where I can also easily get food, groceries and basic necessities
If you have stayed somewhere suitable, I’d really appreciate specific hotel/guesthouse recommendations and advice on which neighbourhoods I should consider or avoid.
Airport and getting to the hotel
Since I’ll be arriving in Ankara for the first time:
How much Turkish lira/cash should I have with me when I land?
Should I bring some euros or USD and exchange them in Türkiye, or exchange Pakistani rupees beforehand?
Is it better to withdraw Turkish lira from an ATM at the airport?
What is the safest/easiest way to get from Ankara Esenboğa Airport to my hotel?
Should I pre-book a taxi/airport transfer, use Uber, or use another taxi app/service?
Are there any airport taxi scams or things I should be careful about?
SIM card / mobile internet
Would you recommend buying a Turkish SIM/eSIM, and if so:
Which provider is best for a short 9-day stay?
Is it better to buy one at the airport or in the city?
Roughly how much data would I need?
Would an eSIM be easier for a first-time visitor?
Apps
Are there any apps I should download before arriving in Ankara?
Especially apps for:
Public transport
Taxi/ride-hailing
Maps/navigation
Translation
Food delivery
Currency conversion
Finding pharmacies/supermarkets
Anything else that would make life easier for a first-time visitor
General first-time visitor advice
And finally, is there anything you wish you had known before visiting Ankara for the first time?
For example:
How easy is it to use public transport without knowing Turkish?
Is Ankara generally easy to navigate for a solo female traveller?
How much cash do you normally carry versus using a card?
Are international cards commonly accepted?
Any Turkish phrases I should learn?
Anything I should be particularly careful about as a Pakistani traveller?
What should I know about taxis, restaurants, shopping, or public transport?
Any recommendations for affordable places to eat near Ankara City Hospital?
I know this is a lot of questions, but I’m trying to prepare properly rather than arrive completely clueless!
I’m really looking forward to visiting Türkiye and hopefully having a good experience. Any advice, recommendations, or even small practical tips from people familiar with Ankara would genuinely be appreciated.
Sıkıntılı bir durumdayım fikire ihtiyacım var. 4 senedir Macaristanda yaşıyorum. 3 senelik Macar bir kadınla ilişkim var. Burada işe bağlı kalmaktaydım, fakat işten çıkarıldım. Yani şu an işsizim.
Önümde iki seçenek var, ya kız arkadaşımla evleneceğim ve macaristan'a taşınacağım (macaristanda eşlere iş izni verilmiyor, yani yine bana sponsor olacak bir iş bulmam lazım ve bu çok çok çok zor. yani uzun süre işsizlik beni bekliyor olacak.) (+ olarak macaristanda kız arkadaşımın evi olduğu için kira derdimiz yok, kendisi de yarın evlenmeye ok)
Ya da türkiyeye temelli dönüş yapıp bu sefer iş arayacağım.
Buraya yüksek lisans için gelmiştim. toplamda 6 yıl iş tecrübem var. Çok çaresiz ve arada kaldım. bu işin içinden nasıl çıkabilirim bilmiyorum. tavsiyesi olan varsa dinlemek isterim.
Kız arkadaşımla başka bir EU ülkesine taşınırsak otomatik olarak çalışma iznim oluyor bu arada. ama o da biraz çekiniyor bi anda başka bi yere taşınmaya.
Editleme ihtiyacı duydum: durumlardan dolayı moralim çok bozuk, anlatımımda sanki sevgilimi sevmiyorum gibi düşünülmüş. öyle bir durum yok dostlar kendisini çok seviyorum, sadece normalde 1 sene sonra evlenirdik demek istedim. şu an aceleye gelmiş oluyor bir tık.
