Istanbul 2023

This was a very interrupted trip! I started with the intention of spending six weeks in Istanbul, but then flew to Salt Lake City in the middle for a week of in-person work. At the end of the trip I spent a week in Bucharest, Romania, after leaving Istanbul early. There were still things left to do, but I wasn’t sure of the political climate following the October 7th attacks in Israel.

Istanbul

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep-Nov 2023

Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Random violence Elevated

Terrorism cautions, demonstrations, and regional conflict spillover.

Governmental risk Guarded

Strict enforcement and political-speech sensitivities.

Sources and notes

Istanbul and Ankara are grouped; higher-risk border regions are outside this itinerary.

U.S. State Department travel advisory - Turkey (2023-09-01)

Ankara

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep-Nov 2023

Tourist-directed crime Guarded

Random violence Elevated

Terrorism cautions, demonstrations, and regional conflict spillover.

Governmental risk Guarded

Strict enforcement and political-speech sensitivities.

Sources and notes

Istanbul and Ankara are grouped; higher-risk border regions are outside this itinerary.

U.S. State Department travel advisory - Turkey (2023-09-01)

Salt Lake City

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep-Nov 2023

Tourist-directed crime Low

Random violence Guarded

General U.S. public-venue violence baseline.

Governmental risk Low

Sources and notes

Domestic U.S. stops do not have a State Department foreign travel advisory, so this is an editorial baseline for the trip context.

Domestic U.S. travel context; no foreign travel advisory applies (2024-07-01)

Bucharest

Safety snapshot Visit context: Sep-Nov 2023

Tourist-directed crime Low

Random violence Guarded

Regional proximity to the Ukraine war.

Governmental risk Low

Sources and notes

U.S. State Department travel advisory - Romania (2023-11-01)