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For a peace of mind, here are some suggestions for you so you can travel with confidence:

When wandering around…
Always hang tight to your belongings in crowded spaces, and be vigilant when walking around moving cars.

Scams
You can lose a hefty amount of cash if not careful. When paying for something more expensive with cash, count your bills carefully before paying and when receiving change. 

Taxis
You can set a price in advance or just make sure there’s a meter. Some taxis will take the long way to rack up the price- this is just some of them, and it’s really hard to avoid this unless you know your way around the city. If you see a shorter route than what you’re on, the driver likely knows a shortcut- or you’re getting scammed. I’d just trust them and hope for the best because there’s no way to really know. BiTaksi is always a good option where you can rate drivers, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be driven the long way. 

Restaurants
Feel free to ask for a price list at restaurants, especially in touristic areas where scams are more likely. Some restaurants just might not have a list, but you can still ask for prices before you order.

Shoe shiners
What? In more touristic areas, there are some shoe shiners on the street who will be walking and intentionally drop their brush, with you thinking it was by accident. Keep walking! They know they dropped it, you don’t need to pick it up for them, unless you want a really expensive shoe shine on the side of the road. This has even happened to people wearing sandals. 

Romance scams / buddy scams
Someone in some way is into you and wants to give you an unforgettable night – but you’ll get stuck paying for everything in the end. 

Tours
Stick to official tours or tours you have heard are worth it.

Terrorism
Unfortunately when a lot of people think about Turkey they think about terrorism. It’s something rare and nothing to worry about. If you are traveling in rural southeast Turkey, it might be worrisome, but if you are with the right people or guides you have nothing to fear. A mass shooting in the United States is far more likely than a terrorist attack in any major city or coastal town in Turkey. For some perspective: 2021, there were 10 terrorist attacks in Turkey, and 692 mass shootings in the United States. 

For female presenting travelers
Avoid city centers alone at night and be extra cautious at any time of the day. If you’ve lived in nearly any major city you probably already know how to do this. See the guide For Femmes and Females for more details.

A few neighborhoods to avoid (if you want to play it extra safe) 
In Istanbul: Tarlabasi, Dolapdere
In Izmir: Kadifekale, Basmane

In the near future, we’ll have more details about different cities around Turkey, as well as where exactly in Turkey to play it extra safe. Please note if you’re a mature, experienced traveler and are very confident doing what you’re doing you’re probably fine even in these areas as well. 

Important numbers in Turkey:
Police: 155
Gendarme (rural police): 156
Fire Brigade: 110
Ambulance: 112
Coast Guard: 158
Forest Fire: 177
Tourism Police (only in some major cities): 196
General Directorate of Security (for traffic accidents): 154