Is Istanbul safe?

Istanbul, Turkey has long been a favourite destination for many groups of travellers. However times have changed; a spate of terrorist attacks, an attempted coup, political turmoil and borders with Syria have led to many travellers opting for other “less risky” destinations. Before my recent trip to Turkey many of my friends and colleagues asked me “is it safe?”

I’ve just returned from a week in Istanbul, and I had a wonderful trip and at no time felt unsafe. Istanbul is not the city that it once was, and a returning traveller might be surprised at some of the changes that have taken place. However I genuinely do not believe it to be any less safe from a terrorist attack than any other major European capital.

The changes are, however, a result of the regional political situation. Istanbul’s streets seem to be home to many more beggars than I ever remember seeing (I’ve been travelling there since 2004). Many of these have fled neighbouring Syria or Iraq, and are trying to eck out an existence in Turkey’s biggest city.

There is much more security around Istanbul nowadays than I ever remember seeing. Armoured vehicles are stationed at places like the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet, and in Taksim Square. These can appear quite intimidating, and stand ready to defend in case of any incident. Thankfully they haven’t had to be used recently.

Security outside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Istanbul’s public transport is much better than it ever was – trains and trams usually seem to run on time and are quite frequent. Always carry your passport with you – identity checks at metro and tram stations are reasonably common.

Tramlines through Sultanahmet district

The large numbers of western tourists in places like Sultanahmet seem slightly down from years ago, or perhaps they are just quieter than I remember them being. In their place are hordes of tourists from the Arab world, for whom Istanbul represents an affordable, stylish and interesting weekend away – a large number of low cost carriers have sprung up in the past decade in the Middle East, ferrying holidayers into and out of Istanbul.

Istanbul’s Bosphorus, the waterway which divides Europe from Asia

Visitor numbers to Turkey dropped sharply in 2015 and 2016. As a result the tourism industries of Istanbul and Turkey generally are craving more business, and many businesses aimed at travellers are slashing their rates to attract more business. This means it is a great time to visit Turkey – not only does it represent great value for money, by travelling to Istanbul you are also putting your tourist dollar into rehabilitating a once-great tourist hub.

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is still very grand, but the crowds aren’t

In short, while Turkey has no doubt suffered its share of political violence in the past five years, the casual traveller to Istanbul will most likely not be affected by any of it. Returning visitors will notice the difference compared to the past, while new visitors will notice the heavy presence of security, similar to that at tourist sites across Europe nowadays. The chance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time exists everywhere, and beyond that Istanbul doesn’t feel or seem any more dangerous than any other European capital nowadays – if anything, now is the time to go to beat the crowds and save some cash.

Have you been to Istanbul or Turkey recently? How was your experience?