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.
Is Turkcell the best mobile/internet provider in Türkiye?
We’ve recently set up both home WiFi and a personal mobile phone service with Turkcell, and so far the service has been pretty good.
For those living in Türkiye, would you say Turkcell is the best provider, or are there better options for mobile and home internet?
Also, a quick question while I’m here — I’ve received my first bill, but I can’t seem to pay it online. Do I need to go back to the specific Turkcell shop where I originally set everything up, or can any Turkcell store deal with the payment?
kız arkadaşımla birlikte hem doğa içinde olabileceğimiz hem de denize girebileceğimiz tiny house ya da bungalov ya da çadır atabileceğimiz, havaalanından sonra da ulaşımı kolay olan bir lokasyon ya da işletme önerisi arıyorum. bu kriterleri karşılayan ve sizi memnun eden deneyimleriniz varsa duymayı çok isterim. selamlar
has anyone tried bringing snus to turkey via hand luggage? because i only have hand luggage and i wanted to bring one pack from abroad. i know its banned in turkey but will it pass through security in istanbul airport? thanks
Merhaba! I've heard that after you insert a Turkish sim card inside foreign mobile phone you will need to pay a special tax. Currently my phone supports 2 cards, and currently I use it only for foreign sim. I also need a Turkish phone number, but I don't know if I will have to pay this tax if I put a Turkish sim card in my phone with a foreign one or not?
P.S. I'm a foreign student, who stays in Türkiye for 10 months
Bugün bir akrabamız organik elma aldım diye getirmiş bana 6 tane elma, baktım hepsi kurtlu, bazılarından girmiş çıkmamış, bazılarından çıkmış, açtım inceledim internetten araştırdım "codling moth" diye bir meyve güvesiymiş türkçesi morina güvesi, bunu türkçe araştırırken bir yere varamadım, ingilizce araştırdım.
İlaçlamadan çözümü varmış falan, da neyse işte, bu karşıma ilk kez böyle çıkan durum değil.
Neden türkiyede tarım konusunda ya ilaçlayacaksın ya da olduğu gibi bırakacaksın gibi bir mantık söz konusu, neden türkiyede çiftçi neye karşı ilaçladığını, o yaratığın biyolojisini bilmiyor?
İnternet çağında neden türkçe böcek bilimi ve botanik şeyler konusunda türkçe kaynaklar bu kadar yetersiz?
Hani benım aklım almıyor, bir böcek varsa, bir yerin ısırılmışsa, bir yerde üreme varsa araştırırsın başıma bununla alakalı neler gelebilir falan, neden tarım konusunda bu kadar gerideyiz bu tür bir yaklaşım için
Morina güvesi yazınca google a, çıkan tek çeviri olmayan kaynaklar 3-5 böceksever sitesi, ama coddling moth yazınca bir sürü forumda insanlar birbirine şunu yap bunu yap diye tartışıyor.
Türkiye'de neden insanlar interneti bu tür bilgilerin alışverişi ve tartışılmak için kullanmıyor da "kurttur ilaçla geçer" gibi bir seviyede tarımımız?
Neden profesyonel ve hobi işlerinde interneti kullanmakta bu kadar başarısız türk toplumu?
Arkadaşlar, farklı topluluklarda sürekli görüyorum. Çok ucuza model araba, oyun konsolu, kol saati alanlar var. Maddiyat olarak bunlara gücüm yetmediği için hobilerimi ve koleksiyon isteklerimi gerçekleştiremiyorum. Trabzon'da bu tarz bildiğiniz yerler var mı?
I’m traveling to Turkey next month for 2 weeks and I am currently on buprenorphine. I have the original prescription bottle and I’m getting a note from my doctor. I seen on the embassy website it says to get prior approval but no explanation on how to do that. Has anyone had experience with this? Do I need to get approval? I’d appreciate the help, thanks!
Hellos, I am moving to Turkey has just have a couple people on discord I want to stay in contact with, so I was wondering if anyone has any VPN recommendations or anyways to bypass the ban. Please lemme know 🙏 🙏 🙏
if you have good cheap or free ones that would be amazing too
Hi! Is anyone here living in Ordu, or does anyone know of any international/expat communities here?
I recently moved to Ordu and I’m still very new here. I came to Türkiye because I wanted to reconnect with this part of my culture and learn Turkish. I didn’t grow up here, but Ordu is where my father’s side of the family is from, so I decided to spend some time here and experience that part of my background more closely.
The difficult part is that I don’t really have friends here yet. I’m learning Turkish, but I barely speak it at the moment, so meeting people and building a social life has been a little hard.
I speak English and I’d really like to meet other foreigners, international students, English speakers, or locals who enjoy meeting people from different cultures.
I’m mainly looking to make friends, find social activities, language exchange groups, workshops, coffee meetups, etc. I’d love to meet people, share cultures, practice Turkish and hopefully build a little community here.
Does anyone know where I could meet foreigners, international students, English-speaking locals, or join social activities in Ordu?
Üniversite için Mersinden İstanbula gitmem lazım. Daha önce aranızda binmiş olanınız var mı? Uçaklada gidebilirim ama yaklaşık 1.5-2k daha ucuz otobüs yolculuğu.
Yıllardır kullandığım TV Time uygulaması kapandı ve maalesef onlarca yıllık izleme geçmişimi ve "izlenecekler" listemi kurtaramadım. Sıfırdan başlıyorum ve gerçekten iyi, göz ardı edilmemesi gereken filmlerden oluşan bir liste toparlamak istiyorum.
Türünüz, döneminiz, ülkeniz fark etmiyor - klasikler, kült filmler, az bilinen ama harika yapımlar, her şey olur. Kendi "mutlaka izle" listenizi ya da elinizdeki derli toplu bir film listesini (Letterboxd export'u, zip, herhangi bir formatta) paylaşırsanız çok sevinirim.
Merhaba. Bir yakınım İstanbul’daki Polonya Başkonsolosluğu üzerinden Polonya D tipi çalışma vizesine başvurdu.
Başvuru amacı tamamen çalışma. Polonya’dan alınmış geçerli çalışma izni var. Çalışacağı şirket belli ve çalışma izni resmi olarak düzenlenmiş.
Ancak 04.09.2026 tarihinde vize reddedildi. Ret kararında özellikle iki madde işaretlenmiş:
Madde 9: Polonya’daki kalış süresi sona ermeden Polonya topraklarından ayrılacağı konusunda makul şüpheler bulunduğu belirtilmiş.
Madde 10: Polonya’da kalış amacına ilişkin beyanların güvenilirliği konusunda makul şüpheler bulunduğu belirtilmiş.
Diğer ret sebepleri işaretlenmemiş. Yani sahte belge, maddi yetersizlik, sigorta, SIS vb. bir gerekçe belirtilmemiş.
Başvuru sahibinin daha önce Estonya Schengen vizesi de vardı ve Estonya’ya gidip vize süresi içinde Türkiye’ye geri döndü. Yani daha önce Avrupa’da vize kurallarını ihlal etmedi.
Şimdi 14 gün içinde yeniden değerlendirme/itiraz başvurusu yapacağız.
Özellikle şunu merak ediyorum:
Polonya çalışma vizesinde 9 ve 10. maddelerden ret alan oldu mu?
İtiraz ettiniz mi ve sonuç ne oldu?
İtirazda hangi belgeler veya açıklamalar işe yaradı?
Daha önce Schengen vizesini kurallara uygun kullanmış olmak olumlu değerlendirildi mi?
Çalışma izni olmasına rağmen konsolosluk hangi sebeplerle çalışma amacına şüpheyle yaklaşmış olabilir?
Aynı durumda olup sonradan vize alan var mı?
Lütfen sadece gerçekten kendi deneyiminizi veya yakınınızın deneyimini paylaşın. Özellikle 2026 yılında İstanbul’dan yapılan başvurularla ilgili tecrübeler benim için çok değerli.
I delayed my Antalya Solo trip (I didn‘t want it to be a solo one) to October bc no one in my family could or wanted to join, now by baba said he‘ll join me. I have a week off at the end of october, how‘s the weather in Antalya then?
Last year I was in Adana visiting my family around the same time and it was 30 degrees, it barely rained but does Antalya have similar weather around that time?
I'm currently dealing with advanced periodontitis, inflamed gums, and noticeable bone loss in my jaw. My local dentist keeps repeating standard deep cleanings twice a year, but the inflammation doesn't seem to stop, and we aren't moving forward regarding dental implants.
I'm considering traveling to Ankara for treatment because I want to get this properly handled. However, I know that doing bone grafts or placing implants while the infection is still active is a huge risk (peri-implantitis).
Has anyone here gone to Ankara specifically for periodontal treatment and bone reconstruction (bone grafting/sinus lift) rather than just cosmetic veneers?
How did the clinics handle the gum infection before doing any bone build-up or implant surgery?
Did they do proper germ/bacteria testing (microbiological tests)?
Can you recommend any specialized periodontists or dental clinics/hospitals in Ankara that actually focus on gum health and bone preservation?
How was the timeline and follow-up care for you?
Would really appreciate any honest experiences, recommendations, or warnings! Thanks in advance!
Gördüğünüz üzere seslendirme işiyle uğraşmak istiyorum şuana kadar tanıdığım çoğu kişi sesimi övdü dublaj vs. İşleri yapabileceğimi söylediler bende severek yapmayı isterim ama nasıl yapacağımı nasıl bir yol haritası çizeceğimi bilmiyorum bilgisi olan arkadaşlar yardımcı olursa sevinirim
I'm traveling the world right now, and looking to land in Turkey next. I love shoulder seasons, and have always wanted to visit Turkey in Sept/Oct/Nov/or Dec.
I have endless historical and cultural things I want to do in this beautiful country, but after being on the go, and having a really demanding job for the last few years, I want to work on my body and mind.
I'm looking to land in area where I can do just that. Find an amazing gym with a large variety of classes and offerings. Massage facilities nearby where I can get a daily massage. Saunas, cold plunges, recovery facilities. PT facilities. Even postural facilities would be amazing. I want to work on my body inside and out, top to bottom.
My only restraints is that the area needs to be walkable or have good public transit as I'm not able to rent a car, and safe for a solo female.
I'll travel around and explore as well of course, but I need to get my body and mind right before I can really focus on other things. I plan to stay in turkey for the full duration of my visa so I'm worried about "wasting time in the gym" as this is what I really, really need and want.
23 yaşındayım yeşil pasaportum var bu sene lisan mezun oldum (açıktan ön lisans devam ediyor) özel okulda öğretmenlik yapıyorum yeşil pasaportum düşer mi yoksa 25 yaşıma kadar Schengen bölgelerine aynı şekilde çıkabilir miyim
