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| Sultanahmet district, Istanbul |
One
of the perks of belonging to the National Press Club is being able to take
advantage of the Club’s first rate tour packages. When a short itinerary to Istanbul was
offered we jumped at the chance. Friends
who have been to the ancient city praised our decision to go. Carpe Diem, indeed.
Despite
my eagerness to see one of the world’s most majestic and truly international cities,
I had uneasiness over safety from terrorism. Because we ended up having a safe
and totally satisfying visit to the capital of the ancient world, which now has
17 million persons living there, we can look back a year later profoundly richer
for the experience.
On
our visit, we—like so many others over the years—stood at the site where a
recent terrorist bomb exploded in the old part of Istanbul.
Terrorists
knew the Sultanahmet area was as popular in Turkey as Times Square in Manhattan
or Piccadilly Circus on London.
The
latest bomb went off near the Blue Mosque.
It is hard to grasp a terrorists’ mind set as to why it is necessary to
murder innocents in order to praise their God and do it in front of one of the
most iconic images of Islam.
Sadly,
the tourism fallout has been devastating in Turkey for a second major reason.
On
the heels of bitterness between Turkey and Russia over a shot down Red fighter
in 2015, Russia has banned tourism to Turkey. Resorts once popular with snow bound Russians
are virtually nude of visitors.
Bombings
in Istanbul and Ankara and the debacle with Russia have punctured Turkey’s $30
billion annual tourist income, a fourth of its overall economy.
Istanbul
is practically empty of visitors and lines at major sites are non-existent. Yet is it safe. Safety in numbers is my answer. Being next to
Russia and Syria I’d say go with care and courage, but go.
Istanbul
deserves a chance to prove to the world it is a safe visit. Far more horrific acts of violence (body
counts) have hurt Paris and Brussels, yet tourism isn’t dropping there as
steeply as in Istanbul.
The monsters have succeeded in wounding a
magnificent city and country. But it
won’t be forever.
The
Turks have courage and its good people—the overwhelming majority of that
country—are embracing international visitors even more because they
understand
it takes courage to book travel to Turkey these days. And, even in the better times we heard “thank
you for coming to visit—it’s good to see you.”
And
such comments weren’t just from shopkeepers or tourist executives it was from
Turks sitting next to us at restaurants, on street cars or in random
conversations throughout the City.
Add
note: the security at the international airport in Istanbul was the most
stringent, this ex-travel writer has ever witnessed. We were searched no less than six times
before we entered the final boarding lounge.
TOURISM BEFORE
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| GRAND BAZAAR (above and lower) |
TOURISM NOW
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