Is Turkey really awful- specifically Side / Fethiye

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Was chatting to my friend yesterday about holidays and I mentioned how I was considering booking a holiday to one of the resorts above (would be 5 star all inclusive, huge resort type place). My friend has completely put me off with tales of how she felt very unsafe in Turkey on a girls holiday, men hassling them and constantly trying to get them to buy stuff / sexual comments etc etc and she mentioned she wouldn’t have felt safe in an ambulance or getting medical treatment as a woman - (we talked about this because I have difficult medical needs which means although my issues are generally okay I may have a flare and need hospital treatment, one of the reasons I was considering Turkey is that on the specific group related to my very rare health issues many people said they’d had excellent treatment there). Now part of my feels like my friend is comparing a very different part of Turkey to where I’m planning to go (she was in Marmaris) and this was about 15/20 years ago, so surely things must have changed?

And also, I’m going as a middle aged woman with my husband and dc (aged 11 and an adult dd) so not the girls type holiday she was on.

Give me your thoughts!

*extensively

@CoteDAzur We have been visiting Turkey with DC since they were babies and never felt unsafe nor feared for them. Quite the opposite - it is a place where people go out of their way to look out for and protect others' children. Some things I have seen in the UK and elsewhere in Europe such as a child wandering away and walking for a mile without anyone stopping them and asking where mummy and daddy are would just never happen in Turkey.

Without being too outing, Turkey is a country I know very well. While you are generally right that most people like and care about children, bad things do happen. There is an organ mafia that snatches children. I am sure they don't try and negotiate a purchase with the parents first though. Various begging gangs are also rumoured to snatch babies from hospitals. Not sure how true that is, but I know Turks were afraid of this, and it was one reason they chose to give birth in private hospitals if they had the means. Please don't think bad things would never happen there and let your guard down too much, even if most people would look out for your child.

Just got back from Side yesterday!
Everyone was warm and welcoming and never once felt unsafe.
Saw many women (Turkish and tourists) walking alone and noone got hassled from what I could see.
Also Turkish women wear western clothes anyway such as shorts and skirts etc so I don't think it's much of a contrast seeing tourists wearing those clothes if you get what I mean.

We went to Olu Deniz last year and going back this year. Loved it. A few comments here and there but as a 40 year old woman with my husband in tow I didn't get much hassle! The local people in Turkish resorts are generally very friendly and can't do enough for you.

@Atishoos I agree with much of this. I enjoyed Istanbul very much but my H refuses to go back whilst Erdogan is in power and yes it's rare to see women in roles of substance - it really depends whether stuff like this bothers you - many people just don't notice or don't care. My H hated Dubai too for similar but different exploitative reasons

Bitteralmond - re "Without being too outing, Turkey is a country I know very well."

Without being too outing, I'm afraid you are not going to win a contest about who knows Turkey better

"There is an organ mafia that snatches children. I am sure they don't try and negotiate a purchase with the parents first though."

You think?

If tourist children were being snatched in Turkey to harvest their organs, I'm pretty sure that it would be all over international news channels. One Madeleine McCann disappeared in Portugal 16 years ago, and we are still reading about the poor girl. Do you think recurrent abductions of foreign children in Turkey would go unnoticed by international media?

"Various begging gangs are also rumoured to snatch babies from hospitals."

Rumoured, you say?

"Turks were afraid of this, and it was one reason they chose to give birth in private hospitals if they had the means."

Turks prefer private hospitals for the same reasons British people do - because of long waiting times and substandard care.

In any case, I fail to see what you think some rumour about newborns being snatched from hospitals all over the country has to do with families spending a holiday in a 5-star beach resort.

We've been to Side twice. The first time I had to go to hospital (massive ear infection that had half my head swollen) and felt completely safe

We stayed in Side Star Elegance. Huge complex- the onsite doctor sorted it all, including taxis.

I’ve been to Turkey with dh and kids a few times in big 5* resorts. We’ve always had a great time and would definitely go back again. Side is actually lovely, loads of Roman ruins to explore, lovely historic town and nice waterfront.

@CoteDAzur Turks prefer private hospitals for the same reasons British people do - because of long waiting times and substandard care.

In any case, I fail to see what you think some rumour about newborns being snatched from hospitals all over the country has to do with families spending a holiday in a 5-star beach resort.

I am glad you know why Turks prefer private hospitals, and now I think I must have totally misheard the Turkish women who told me why they prefer to give birth in them. Thanks so much for putting me (and them) right. Yes - I do speak Turkish so nothing lost in translation.

Nowhere in my post did I suggest recurrent abductions of tourist children, and I agree that it is unlikely. However, the tone of your original post did imply that children were universally safe and protected in Turkey, and sadly that is not the case.

I was only kindly advising that people should not let their guard down. No one wants another Madeleine situation however rare that may be.

Not interested in having a competition over who knows Turkey best. Have a nice evening.

If you are worried OP I would stick to Belek some fab AL or Lara beach although very expensive area!

I stated at Magic life Masmavi with myself and DC. We were fine and we did 2 trips one into Belek shops and Land of legends theme park.

You can see a LOT of MONEY has been put into Turkey to benefit the tourist. Stick with a 5* hotel, join the Facebook groups read reads and ask questions from the people who are currently their or have recently been. Don't listen to your friend.

Paloma Orenda in Side is on my bucket list looks lush!