Job Discussion Forums

[Stumptown]

what's the scoop on safety in Turkey? I've gotten used to the extremely low rate of crime in Korea, so I feel safe walking around all hours of the night as well as visiting smaller towns where I've never been.

[molly farquharson]

Turkey is pretty safe, but perhaps I should speak more specifically about istanbul, since that is what I know about. Compared to other big cities, it is safer, but you still need to be vigilant, especially in some areas. I had my bag snatched some years ago, a friend had hers snatched a few months ago. We had a teacher who was stabbed in the leg, which was a high price to pay for being drunkenly obnoxious. There are some break-ins. Traffic is probably the most dangerous.

It is different for women than men. Women get stared at and sometimes touched (esp. gropers on the tramway). Women should not be out alone late at night unless they are in their own neighbourhood.

however, if you need help, someone will probably help you. I was followed one night and just popped in to the tekel shop until the guy got past, and that was fine.

I think it is a lot safer here than just about anywhere I livedin North America. And certainly more interesting.

[bron]

This is on my mind because I actually got followed again last night, and this time the guy was not shaken off by my walking into a corner store, coming out with the guy who works there (who knows me) and staring around, and staying inside for five minutes or so before continuing home. He just reappeared when I was within a block of my house and walked up beside me again with his phone out. Nor was he deterred by "Ev arkadaşlar var ve erkek arkadaş var -- T�rk!" (I have flatmates and a Turkish boyfriend, for non-Turkey dwellers -- although I'm sure it's grammatically odd, I made the sentence up on the spot). He only left when I yelled "Defol! Ayıp ya!" at him, right outside my building, and I went in very shaken.

It was only nine o'clock at night, so I guess the only conclusion I can draw is that it's not a good idea to walk home alone after dark if you're female, even in a residential neighbourhood like Bakırk�y, unless the people in the neighbourhood know you, and you know how to make a loud fuss in Turkish to draw attention to yourself. In other words, walk with your friends for your first few months.

This bothers me even more because I know I wasn't targeted for looking foreign, because I'm constantly being told how Turkish I look (small, plump, brown-haired), and this guy intially approached me from behind, so he didn't even see my face. I've heard that even Turkish women have to deal with this kind of crap on occasion, though.

[Stumptown]

Thanks molly. I sent you an e-mail years ago when I was studying at Portland State University, but I read in another forum that a job can't be guaranteed unless the applicant comes over personally and walks through the doors for the interview. What documents would I need to get a working visa processed in Turkey? I have my original BA in Linguistics, original TESL certificate, and several unopened sealed copies of my transcripts.

[justme]

In reference to bron's post, Bakırk�y is full of freaks!!! I can't tell you how many times I was followed relentlessly, no matter what I did, including a physical assault on the doorstep of my house. I think I mentioned in a previous post keying and kicking the sh*t out of a guy's car and even that didn't deter him. There were guys who seemed to lie in wait outside places so they could continue following me up to an hour, or even half a day later. Yes, I'm blonde and clearly foreign, but it was extremely infuriating. Even now I just got all mad about it all over again.

But outside of Bakırk�y I never had any problems like this, save for the gropers in crowded places that Molly mentioned...

Stumptown, I knew it had to be Oregon. I thought Eugene til you mentioned PSU...

[TeachEnglish]

Istanbul is full of crime.. cell phone snatchings, and at knife point.. purse snatchings, knifings, break-ins, etc.. the Asian side of Istanbul is a little safer but break-ins to apartment and cars are frequent. Don't let anyone tell you different.. if you are in the Taksim area... be careful.. and avoid side streets if possible..

[TeachEnglish]

Istanbul is full of crime.. cell phone snatchings, and at knife point.. purse snatchings, knifings, break-ins, etc.. the Asian side of Istanbul is a little safer but break-ins to apartment and cars are frequent. Don't let anyone tell you different.. if you are in the Taksim area... be careful.. and avoid side streets if possible..

[preston]

Safety? Do people know what it means? Kamikaze pedestrians crossing every main road even though the light's got 10 seconds to turn green, open manholes and potholes in the pavement, people jumping off the ferryboats before they reach the port and the suicidal drivers frantically changing lanes without looking. Last week my minibus crashed into a lorry on a bridge in Maslak and the first thing the driver did was jump out and try and murder the lorrydriver. .

[justme]

Those are the kinds of things that are best not to think about here. Also earthquakes and shoddy construction, poor wiring with no fire escapes and other fire hazards, industrial waste in the air, food and water, pesticides and herbicides, questionable food handling, unlicensed drivers, Turkish doctors, people firing guns into the air to celebrate, fireworks and their flaming bits awfully low to the ground, dioxin in the eggs....

I guess it depends what kind of safety you're talking about. The bag snatching kind or the guys using MIG and TIG welders on crowded streets without protective eyewear or gloves kind....

[31]

Look out the TEFL dreamers will be posting any minute now telling you that they have lived here for years without any problems and they leave their doors open and walk up sidestreets late at night and have never had any problme. They will tell you that it is safer than any other country and that they were robbed x times in country x but never in Turkey.

[justme]

Oh yeah-- and dolmuş drivers who fill the gas tank while smoking with the engine running.

And terrorists.

And poorly maintained trees with huge dying branches hanging over the street.

But despite this and all the TEFL I still love it here and wouldn't go anywhere else. It's good to taste your mortality at least once a day.

[31]

Plugs that come out of the wall when you touch them

No drainage on E5 so when it rains the road gets flooded

Power and water cuts with no notice

Language school owners-all made from the same mold

Squat drop toilets with no paper and no soap

When it is hot students saying ''OOF cok sicak and ooffing and oofing which just makes them hotter

Being short changed and ripped of frequently

When you have been ripped off the ripper off saying ''yalnis anladin'' when the opposite is true

Having your glass taken away in the ''birahane'' when there is still a little bit left

In cheap ''birahane'' the man who comes around and takes old men`s blood pressure which must be high coz he is drinking.

On the news when they say ''olay var''

All the different televole programmes

The ''muavin'' on the private buses who shouts ''bos araba'''when it is full

Everything being ''cagdas''

[justme]

LOLOLOL !!! I like when 31 gets like this....

[calsimsek]

I'm one of thoses TEFL dreamers, and a few years ago I would have said that Ist is as safe as any city can get.

Yet the truth is that 31 is right the city is far less safe than what it was. Now you do have to watch out and stay out of areas at night.

Still there are areas that are alot safer and things don't happen much. Kadik�y and the whole asian side while not crime free is alot less of a problem than Takism. In the end 31 is right, the days of a crime free big city are over.

[Golightly]

whenever someone says 'bir sey olmaz' it's time to start running......