' anyone been to Istanbul recently?

[PMeuph]

Not Constantinople....

[tubatooter1940]

No and I never will. There are people over there who want to saw our heads off.

If you are suicidal, go for it.

[bort]

A few thoughts:
-- They've got a lot of bad neighbors to the far east of the country, but Istanbul is on the far west of the country.
-- Istanbul is a gigantic, modern city, with a large tourist infrastructure. It is a first-world city. There will be crime, but probably the same petty theft that happens in other tourist spots all over Europe.
-- With what you tell us about Memphis, I think you would be able to handle a few rowdy Turks if things got that far.
-- Sounds like fun, thanks for the idea!

[bort]

Joe...got a link to the State Dept info?

[Donn]

The U.S. State Department online reports aren't particularly encouraging.

Though it's hard to tell, with all the relative terms. "Street crime remains relatively low" means something, it's just hard to say exactly what. There are 13 million people living in Istanbul, if that helps put the numbers in perspective. I believe the main danger is that you could get stuck in a crowd of travelers who are getting herded through the tourist gauntlets for purchase of pointless trinkets and uninteresting food.

[bort]

I say go for it, but trust your own instincts. You're street smart enough that you'll know what's a good or bad idea. Again though, it's a huge modern city that *does* get a lot of tourists. It's not like you and 2 friends are considering a hiking trip along the Iraq/Iran border...