There has been a huge amount of media attention surrounding Turkey since the Suruc bombing, where 28 people died. A further 100 people were wounded in the incident, so there is the inevitable fear which escalates whenever anything happens.
If you are thinking of heading to Turkey in the next couple of months then read on through my top points.
My Friends
One of my best friends, Lee Andrews, just got back from Turkey with his girlfriend, where they spent 10 days. They didn’t hear a thing regarding the terrorist attack while they were there and they had an amazing time.
My Trip
When I visited Sharm El Sheikh a couple of years ago, I was warned that certain areas of Egypt were currently writing and that I should travel around with armed guards. Well, we caught a plane over to those areas and we refused to have the armed guards following us around, as this would take away from the true experience. Nothing dangerous happened to us, that is not to say nothing could happen, just that situations like this are often blown out of proportion.
Turkey’s Reaction
It is believed a senior Turkish Official came out and stated that the attack was actually in response to the Turkish governments commitment to tackle terrorism.
So why is Turkey so caught up in this situation
First we have to consider their application to become part of the EU. A few years ago I was studying European politics and at the time Turkey was applying to be part of the EU. As part of this process, they were making a number of changes, such as removing the death penalty (something they should have got rid of a long time before). However their were many negatives highlighted to them joining. First and foremost, they are the entrance to Iraq and Syria, connecting Europe to the Middle East. There was a huge amount of fear that by allowing Turkey to become part, that members of ISIS could move more freely through Europe, which could lead to increased terrorist attacks.
This could be a contributing factor to Turkey increasing pressure on ‘terrorist groups’, as they are trying to show their commitment to the EU and to the safety of others.
Foreign Office
The foreign office, usually the voice of safety when it comes to these matters, has declared that the vast majority of Turkey is still considered to be completely safe to travel to. They also recommend reading through their guides so you know where is safe to travel to and any extra tips they are offering for the area. The main offender is actually anywhere bordering Syria, as within 10 kilometers of anywhere along this border it is considered to be high risk, but this is a long way away from the tourist spots you are most likely booking your holiday destination for.