What are the attitudes to foreigners and women like ?
Foreigners are warmly welcomed in Turkey and treated with great hospitality. In fact the biggest complaint some people have is that they receive too much attention particularly when shopping – every shop owner seems to be able to spot us at 100 paces. Women particularly those with blonde hair and fair skin do attract a lot of unwelcome attention with ‘Magandas’ (the equivalent to our medallion man) being the worst offenders. However most women say they feel safer in Turkey than back home and I don’t know of anyone that has ever had any serious hassle. Women should be aware of the places they are in. If it is a conservative area then short skirts and revealing tops would definitelt be a No No and women are expected to dress modestly in Mosques. Is it a safe country. Most people say they feel much safer in Turkey than in the UK. Violent crime levels are extremely low as is the level for drunken larger lout behaviour. If you’ve heard reports about terrorism then don’t worry. There are sti
