Why is Turkey the safest place for tours?
Turkey is a great place for tourism. Millions of people travel to this place every year. It is a beautiful country with a lot of history behind it. The historical buildings in the region describe the story of magnificent story empires that ruled here. However, seeing so many tourists touring Turkey makes foreigners question the safety and security in Turkey. The majority of people who travel to Turkey all enjoy a peaceful time on their vacations. However, there is no place on the planet that is all safe. There are always some dangers around us. It is advised for tourists to stay active at all times.
Turkey is a place with a diverse culture, especially in Istanbul. Istanbul is the only city that lies on two sub continents, Asia and Europe. The European side is more modern compared to the Asian.
Coming to answer your question about the security here. Turkey’s economy is almost half percent dependent on tourism. This keeps the government of Turkey under pressure to maintain a healthy environment. Any bad incident in the country can lead to a negative impact on the world of Turkey. This will eventually affect their tourism. The government of Turkey makes its primary priority to maintain a safe environment for the residents as well as the foreigners touring the country.
Warnings and Dangers in Turkey
1) Transport and Taxis risk
Transport and taxis in Turkey do not give any dangers. They are safe and trustworthy to travel. If you are driving yourself, you should drive carefully, as the local drivers here do not follow rules very often.
2) Pick pockets risk
When you are in a crowded place, you should always stay alert. For example, in the streets of Istanbul, it is a high risk that someone will steal something. You should always keep your bags close to you. Some important places where you should be highly alert are Taksim square, Sultan Ahmet, the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul.
3) Mugging risk
Talking about mugging, there is very less around the country. Near the Syrian border, the mugging rate is very high. Kidnappings, muggings, and assaults have been reported. Terrorists in this region usually target the people who go for humanitarian work in journalism.
4) Terrorism Risk
During recent years, there has been a sharp spike in terrorism in the country. This makes the tourist really concerned about the security. The last terrorist attack was in January 2017. Most of them are initiated by the Kurdish separatist terrorist activities in south-east Turkey.
5) Scams Risk
One of the common scams in Turkey is the residents here making tourist their friends. After making their friends, they take benefits from them. Benefits include things such as taking them for dinner and asking them to pay for it. Sometimes, taxi drivers may too do these types of scams, and show you the wrong meter so you pay more.
6) Women traveler risk
For women, we suggest you avoid going to less crowded places after the evening. There have been cases of sexual assault or verbal insults. Women might be accompanied by a group, so that is why they should avoid these areas of high risk.
How safe is Turkey then for tourists despite all these dangers and warnings?
Turkey is a safe country in terms of crime and risk from a political point of view and terrorists. We do not mean to say that violence does not exist here. It does exist everywhere in the world and so does in Turkey. The common ones are snatching, pick pocketing, and mugging. However, some important steps were taken by the government to fully put an end to this violence. One of the major steps was to set up cameras in the streets. This showed a decline in mugging and purse snatching.
The dangers are mostly in big cities, otherwise it is all chill outside them. The tourists have positive experiences enjoying themselves there. Moreover, the tourist major concern all around the world is terrorism. In Turkey, there have been many cases of terrorism, especially from the Kurdish sights. However, this has been controlled as well and the situation is settled.
We advise you to be alert all the time and keep in mind the dangers we have mentioned. A few places which you can visit without any fear are Istanbul, Bodrum, and Cappadocia. These places are beautiful as well as full of activities that you can enjoy.