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GAF, I'm scared about going to Turkey next week

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V

velociraptor

Junior Member
I really want to visit Turkey one day (love the food) but damn it sounds like a shitshow. I hope the country returns to order very, very soon.
 
D

DirtyManos

Member
OP I'd tell you to visit where I am right now, but I'd rather not have anything happen to me sooooo how about the area planetarily opposite Los Angeles?
 
K

Kralamoonard

Member
Hmmm, been talking to my brother and his friends.

They have a few friends in Turkey and they say things are getting stable quickly and people are out celebrating. We'll see how it goes but they think it'll be safe by Tuesday.

What do you guys think?
 
N

Nipo

Member
Kralamoonard said:
Hmmm, been talking to my brother and his friends.

They have a few friends in Turkey and they say things are getting stable quickly and people are out celebrating. We'll see how it goes but they think it'll be safe by Tuesday.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Things probably seemed safe a week ago too. Unsafe situations develop quickly often before you can react. If you go get really good travel insurance.
 
R

RumblingRosco

Member
Kralamoonard said:
Hmmm, been talking to my brother and his friends.

They have a few friends in Turkey and they say things are getting stable quickly and people are out celebrating. We'll see how it goes but they think it'll be safe by Tuesday.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

You're braver than I am, OP. I'd cancel that ticket so fast.
 
S

Shredderi

Member
Kralamoonard said:
Hmmm, been talking to my brother and his friends.

They have a few friends in Turkey and they say things are getting stable quickly and people are out celebrating. We'll see how it goes but they think it'll be safe by Tuesday.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

It's just a fucking vacation. It's sightseeing. It's not even in the same universe as worth-the-risk. Don't go man. Don't fucking go. It's just a vacation that you can take further down the line when there hasn't been crazy shit JUST happening.
 
K

Kralamoonard

Member
Yeah you guys make valid points.

FWIW, if I do cancel it I won't be booking another holiday since this one is with my bro and friends. They all want me to go, and even one friend specifically is going as soon as he knew I was going.

I just don't want to take the risk - but at the same time, i may miss a great opportunity to enjoy myself with my friends and relax. But how can I relax when the situation isn't 100% stable? Or am I overthinking how dangerous it is right now?

Definitely a lot of questions to sleep over. Will decide tomorrow at the latest. Any further advice is welcome!
 
iceatcs

iceatcs

Junior Member
Well, to be honest, if you don't look like a Turk, then don't go, it can cause some hate crime if thing gets worst.
 
H

HellofaMouse

Member
i live in is istanbul (close to the bridges where stuff went down actually).

ive never seen things get back to normal this fast after a military uprising / quasi coup. Id still wait a couple of days to see if everything stays normal before i make a decision tho.
 
andythinkpad

andythinkpad

Member
Why would you go now unless the ticket prices are 80% off?

OTOH, Erdogan only plan to purge the judges/journalists/military officials, so you should be fine.
 
L

Llyranor

Member
There were mobs beheading people in the streets. You might be 'fine' as a tourist (but who knows), but would you really be able to enjoy yourself and relax?
 
S

SolidusDave

Member
Safety issues aside, there are many other nice countries that do not support asshats as their leaders and thus are more deserving of tourism income.
Vote with your wallet etc
 
K

Kralamoonard

Member
Yeah I get that, but it isn't as simple as that. We've booked this holiday from ages ago, with my mates and bro, as some of us have never been to Turkey before. It's not easy to just change holiday like that.

Regarding the asshat leader thing, honestly, I can understand that vote with your wallet mentality with consumer products, but when it comes to locations I want to visit, no asshat leader is going to stop me seeing some amazing sights (I mean it's not like that's stopped people visiting beautiful countries with crappy governments lol). I mean as long as the place isn't a damn warzone ha.

Anyhow, I think I've made up my mind now. Thanks everyone for the posts here, let's hope things all go smoothly and I manage to enjoy the holiday. If things do turn uglier though by now and Tuesday, then we'll probably cancel.
 
M

Mr.Sumal

Member
Kralamoonard said:
Yeah I get that, but it isn't as simple as that. We've booked this holiday from ages ago, with my mates and bro, as some of us have never been to Turkey before. It's not easy to just change holiday like that.

Regarding the asshat leader thing, honestly, I can understand that vote with your wallet mentality with consumer products, but when it comes to locations I want to visit, no asshat leader is going to stop me seeing some amazing sights (I mean it's not like that's stopped people visiting beautiful countries with crappy governments lol). I mean as long as the place isn't a damn warzone ha.

Anyhow, I think I've made up my mind now. Thanks everyone for the posts here, let's hope things all go smoothly and I manage to enjoy the holiday.
Click to expand...

Good luck and have fun
 
B

BosSin

Member
FWIW I have a lot of family in Istanbul and they're doing ok. Admittedly they don't go out much, but I think you will be ok. Just don't hang out in large crowded areas a lot, usually it would be fine but times are a bit more turbulent now.
 
K

Kralamoonard

Member
Thanks guys.

To be fair, the UK Foreign Office has relaxed travel advice. You guys can read the full advice here but in summary:

The UK Foreign Office has relaxed its travel advice for Britons visiting Turkey following a failed coup.
The situation in Turkey "appears to be calming", it said, but visitors should still avoid public places in Ankara and Istanbul, particularly demonstrations.
Coastal resorts do not appear to be significantly affected at present - but visitors should be vigilant, it said.
Britons had been advised to stay inside after a faction of the military tried to overthrow the government on Friday.
Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport earlier than normal to get through additional security checks in place.
While the Foreign Office says the security environment in Turkey remains "potentially volatile", resort areas have been relatively unaffected, according to the Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators.
Click to expand...
 
G

GoldenEye 007

Member
Nipo said:
Things probably seemed safe a week ago too. Unsafe situations develop quickly often before you can react. If you go get really good travel insurance.
Click to expand...

From my novice experience looking at travel insurance recently, many companies will not cover situations which are obvious or reasonably known prior to the trip. I doubt travel insurance would cover anything here given an attempted coup just happened and delays/cancellations are to be expected.

I was concerned travel insurance wouldn't apply because the US placed all of Europe under a travel advisory/warning a few months ago after an attack. Due to that, I just went anyway without paying for the insurance because I could see the clause covering such a situation.
 
kavanf1

kavanf1

Member
I was in Turkey for a week in between the bombing/shooting at Istanbul Airport and the failed coup. Thankfully we were only on the south-west coast where there was no apparent impact at all. Some of my in-laws are still over there but they've had no issues to report.

Not a chance I'd visit anywhere near Ankara or Istanbul right now.
 
T

Tyaren

Member
I would have told the OP that he was going to be alright on Saturday, immediately after the coup...but after what Erdogan did in the last couple of days and is planning for the near future, I would advise anyone to stay away from that country. Sacking and arresting thousands of military and police staff as well as lawyers and judges, plans to reinstate the death penalty and easier arms access for civillians, that's crazy. And we've seen these "civillians"... Erdogan did not order them to stand down but to stand guard and protest for the whole next week. Relations with the EU and especially the US have become tense too right now. I don't see how anyone, especially a foreigner, could feel save and welcome there right now. Also, is it the right message to support such a regime with your money?
 
C

Clefargle

Member
I'm traveling to turkey for a layover flight in two weeks. I'm terrified too OP, please be safe. See you around on GAF in a month and we can laugh at how freaked out we were.
 
K

Kralamoonard

Member
SG-17 said:
Don't give the Erdogan regime money by being a tourist.
Click to expand...

Tyaren said:
Also, is it the right message to support such a regime with your money?
Click to expand...

I honestly don't get the "supporting the regime". Tourism in Turkey goes way back, so you mean to tell me, all these years, tourists form west to east have been supporting Erdogan's regime? It's never stopped millions of them going to Turkey to see the beautiful vistas. What's with the guilt trip? People should be able to separate visiting a country for different reasons.

I understand the intention, but man, it ain't as black and white as that as evil government/regime = no travel because then no one would travel around the world anymore. I've been to countries with questionable governments, but that ain't gonna stop me visiting my family, or doing religious pilgrimage, or enjoying the scenery and landscapes on Earth, as if I'm directly putting money into these dictators pocket each time I visit.

It's never as simple as that or as easy as that. There's pros and cons to everything. I mean I know I've made up my mind already, but still. Anyway, I've contacted further with my friends and people they know in Turkey, and everyone we've talked to has further updated us about the situation. There's definitely a lot of celebrations going round (since a lot of Turkey seem to be pro-erdougan), and people seem to say things have been stabilised. Let's hope it stays that way, but this as well as the UK travel advice, I'm definitely trusting those two sources in thinking things have gotten back on track after the coup.

euphemism said:
I'm traveling to turkey for a layover flight in two weeks. I'm terrified too OP, please be safe. See you around on GAF in a month and we can laugh at how freaked out we were.
Click to expand...

Heh, lets hope. Hope everything goes safely and smoothly.
 
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