Is it safe to travel to Turkey in 2023?

Travellers considering a trip have many questions and must make multiple decisions. One of them may be “Is it safe?” We have recently been asked if it is safe to travel to Turkey in 2023. Every individual must take responsibility for informing themselves and ultimately deciding. We are happy to offer some background and our perspectives.

Is it safe to travel to Turkey in 2023?

There is rarely a clearcut, definitive answer to such a question. We are offering a rowing tour there in October 2023 and have not seen anything to make us cancel or postpone the trip. We believe it is safe for us to send our Tour Leader for the trip, although she ultimately must feel comfortable. Which she does. A recent article in Canada’s national newspaper The Globe & Mail described a shrinking map, listing five countries which have fallen out of favour with travellers. Turkey is NOT on the list. Russia is, not surprisingly. We no longer offer our St. Petersburg rowing tour because we do not think that it is safe or desirable to travel there.

One of the best sources of information are government websites from foreign affairs or state departments. Most seem to use a four-level grading system to identify risk and provide travel advice. The red or worst and fourth rating clearly states “do not travel”, while orange or Level 3 is “non-essential travel not recommended” or “reconsider travel”. Turkey comes in at Level 2 from the US State Department, which is “exercise increased caution”. The Canadian government rates Turkey the same, specifically mentioning the November bombings on a main shopping street and the possibility of demonstrations. The British advice is less straightforward with their recommendations stating, “You should remain vigilant, and follow the advice of the local security authorities and/or your tour operator.”

To put this in context, although not to diminish the warnings, the Canadian government gives the United Kingdom the same level of travel advice as Turkey, which is to exercise a high degree of caution. In the UK it is because of the threat of terrorism. Mexico, a very popular winter destination for Canadians, has a similar rating. We were happy to see that all our other 2023 rowing destinations get the green checkmark with the advice of taking normal security precautions.

It seems we talk about safety and security when travelling with some frequency. In 2018 Cathy Senecal shared her post on Travelling in Uneasy Times, including some helpful tips on how to prepare in advance and act when on a trip. In 2016 we published a post titled Why Travel to Row Now. More on that post below.

What about the politics?

We are a Canadian company. When we were planning our first trip there in 2021, a Swiss guest questioned whether she should take the trip or not, citing the policies of the government and noting things like the suppression of the Gezi protests, the treatment of minorities, especially refugees, homophobia, megalomaniacal canal projects, etc.. I asked our local partner, Alper Ertuby of Hike’n Sail Turkey for his response. This is what he wrote. The guest joined the trip and excellent discussions were held over dinner.

I am glad you brought this up. I hear this a lot and I have a lot to say back. I have been an activist all my life.

I inhale gas, hit by water cannons, and provide financial support for the action. I may be the only or one of the handful of tourism professionals who sets a model for sustainable tourism in Turkey. On top these, I try to make a living.

People who think like her should think twice. Who are they punishing? Me or him. If someone wants to stand against tyrants like Mr. E., they should understand that people like him serve the global capital, such as the Swiss banks, Canadian mining companies, World Bank, etc. EU and North American countries may pretend to disagree with him but in reality they have no problem him being the dictator of Turkey. Dictators are the favorites of big corporations, and powerful countries,  because they make the negotiations smooth and easy for them. The best way to show your attitude to Mr. E. is to fight against capitalism in your own country. J

I am sure your explain this with better words, but my point is, by not joining your trip in Turkey they will not be proving anything worthwhile.

Why travel to Turkey?

That is easy to answer. It is a stunningly beautiful country with a fascinating history. The Turkish people are warm and friendly. We feel so welcomed by our local rowing hosts and partners. Then of course there is the food, with Alper our guide an admitted foodie. Our rowing tour in Turkey is one of our most exotic adventures. Guests give the trip rave reviews. In fact, Istanbul made the New York Times list of 52 places to visit in 2023.

An alternate option to row Turkey and some final thoughts

For 2023 we redesigned our tour to begin in Bodrum and minimizing the time in Istanbul. Istanbul is a magnificent city and our last row features the spectacular setting of the Golden Horn. However, we can offer the option to skip the Istanbul portion all together. Please contact us if you would like more information. If you would like to connect with a past guest to discuss the trip, please let us know.

To quote from our own post in 2016:

Right now we seem to be inundated by even more than usual negative, terrifying or mind-numbing headlines.  The world appears a scary place, and one reaction is to retreat to safe havens.  For rowers this may mean heading to the familiar dock, launching our favourite boat onto known waters and immersing ourselves in the comforting rhythm of catch, drive, release, feather, recover.  Repeated over and over again. Senseless bombings, economic distress, political madness all melt away.

But now is the time to leave those safe waters and travel. Let’s not turn inward and live our lives by fear.  Why should we stop doing what we also love: travelling?  The news may be grim, but for us individually, likely not much has truly changed.

Go and find a new dock, a different boat and unknown waters to explore. You could die in a traffic accident on the way to your local rowing club.  In fact statistically, it is more likely than dying in a terrorist attack. I spent a month in Paris soon after the terrible attacks in November 2015. Security was high but not overwhelming and I felt completely safe. I was glad to be there, helping support the beleaguered tourist industry. I felt that I was sharing solidarity with Parisiens, even if no one particularly noticed.  And there were no crowds– it felt like how travel used to be, when you had the sense of discovery, of the new and unexpected.