Turkey Civil Unrest

Good morning. I thought that I would just post a note on the Princess board regarding the escalating violence that started as a peaceful protest in Istanbul and has spread to other cities in Turkey. According to CNN, 2 protestors have died of their wounds and just over 3 thousand people have sustained injuries. The unions have thrown their support behind the original protestors with civil strikes planned for Tuesday and Wednesday. Apparently they are now protesting against the "fascism' of the government. Our prayers must be with the deceased protestors' families.....

I am sure Princess is monitoring the situation and will adjust their itineraries in necessary

It has been on my mind as well. I do not think any of the Princess ships have had a scheduled call at Istanbul this season, so no word if it went on as scheduled (but I could be wrong?).

The Royal Princess is doing the Grand Med. itinerary (which we are on) with calls at Istanbul and Kusadisi, Turkey. Kusadisi is strictly tourism, so I would not think violence and protests would take place there. Istanbul on the other hand may be a problem. I know several years ago when Athens was having alot of protests in Syntagma Square tha turned violent, I remember reading that Princess cancelled some of the visits there. I would be disappointed if the ship missed Istanbul, but defer to Princess' final decision as they need to keep us safe!

While there is no evidence of this so far, my biggest fear is Muslim extremist groups will insert themselves into the situation in an attempt to topple the secular, democratic government, as happened in Egypt.

Turkey, unlike Greece, has a largely Muslim population, a small but dedicated Islamic fundamentalists within, and borders a number of Islamic states that view the west as the enemy.

At least one ship, the Pacific Princess, is stopping in Istanbul for 2 days in July. I certainly hope this port does not get cancelled as it was the main reason for our choosing this particular cruise.

And, yes, I am also concerned for the violence and the Turkish people.

There is a travel advisory issued for Turkey. Here is the link to the US Embassy in Turkey website

http://turkey.usembassy.gov/em_060313.html

Thank you for the US site for tourists traveling to Turkey. I have not yet but will register with them as my October cruise approaches. I agree it is fluid and decisions will need to be made as we get closer to sail date. We booked this cruise for these two ports, but most important issue is safety...I will probably accept the Princess decision if we DO still visit however, will feel very cautious about places I visit. Appreciate posting that appear on this port. Interestingly, many years ago when there were protests and bombings going on in Turkey, Princess went to the Istanbul port but skipped Ephesus because unrest there. I agree the cruise ships are very cautious generally. Can't think of what they might substitute for ports....perhaps more Greek Island ports or Croatia.

We will be onboard the Royal Princess which has stops in Istanbul and Kusadasi in July and August. I, too selected this Princess itinerary in part because of Istanbul being on the itinerary. However, if there is increased violence and Princess decides to substitute a different port, I am totally fine with this decision as I believe that would be looking out for our well-being and their insurance!

We will be onboard the Royal Princess which has stops in Istanbul and Kusadasi in July and August. I, too selected this Princess itinerary in part because of Istanbul being on the itinerary. However, if there is increased violence and Princess decides to substitute a different port, I am totally fine with this decision as I believe that would be looking out for our well-being and their insurance!

I would not assume that they would substitute another port...they could just cancel the stop and add another sea day. It is very difficult with a ship of this size just to add in a port. Ports are busy and have ships already scheduled. I am also doing this itinerary and would be disappointed and would love another port if Istanbul gets cancelled, especially at short notice, but if I was betting I would bet on a sea day...Fingers crossed we get to Turkey!!

Any day on the Royal be it in port or out at sea will always be a good day! :)

where the protests have been are not by where most tourists go...but of course, it is a situation to be watched.

I was looking forward to going back...in July

but will just keep a look out for current news reports.

Bernadette

Any day on the Royal be it in port or out at sea will always be a good day! :)[/quote

The Ruby also has several cruises with stops in Istanbul this season.

But some of these protests have also taken place in Izmir which is close to Kusadasi, so there is a reason to be cautious throughout the country.

I'm sure Princess will do what's best for passenger and crew safety.

We're sailing the greek Isles on the Ruby in October and would certainly miss stopping in Ephesus, but a day at sea or port call somewhere else would be fine, too.

I e-mailed our guide in Istanbul.....He said that it is a lie...that nobody had died and that 24 were injured.......?????. Lots of time to get things sorted out before our stop but travellers heading out in the next while should be cautious...

I just received this email from the Dept. of State regarding Turkey:

The U.S. Department of State alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Turkey to the continuing public demonstrations taking place throughout the country. There have been numerous reports of violence, injuries, and at least two confirmed deaths resulting from or related to clashes between protestors and Turkish law enforcement authorities. U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security. This Travel Alert expires on July 5, 2013.

Violent altercations have occurred in areas of Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Mersin, and elsewhere. The Turkish National Police and protestors continue to clash in some locations. Individuals caught in the vicinity of violence have been injured and/or detained, including U.S. citizens. Labor organizations have announced plans for strikes.

U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Turkey should be alert to the potential for violence. We strongly urge U.S. citizens to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. There have been no direct attacks on U.S. citizens.

Review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news media for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security, and follow instructions of local authorities.

We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens and nationals traveling to or residing in Turkey enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). U.S. citizens and nationals without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Enrolling signs you up to receive updated information about areas abroad and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or consulate to communicate with you or your designated contact in case of emergency.

"It's all a lie" I highly doubt every international news agency has got it all wrong. I'd sure believe what they are reporting before a tour guide that you have probably never met and is counting on your business for his/her livelyhood.

We had our final port of call changed from Bangkok to Singapore for a very similar reason on our Asia cruise, civil unrest.

Having been to Turkey before and visited many of it's rich cultural and historic sights I can certainly understand the concern and disappointment should it be dropped from many itineraries. At the same time I would rather miss a place than potentially put myself and family in harms way.

"It's all a lie" I highly doubt every international news agency has got it all wrong. I'd sure believe what they are reporting before a tour guide that you have probably never met and is counting on your business for his/her livelyhood.

We had our final port of call changed from Bangkok to Singapore for a very similar reason on our Asia cruise, civil unrest.

Having been to Turkey before and visited many of it's rich cultural and historic sights I can certainly understand the concern and disappointment should it be dropped from many itineraries. At the same time I would rather miss a place than potentially put myself and family in harms way.

Not to mention the State Dept's official alert and confirmation of at least 2 deaths.

In 2011 on the Ruby, we visited the two ports in Turkey, and we enjoyed all of the sights. We also visited Athens, where there were demonstrations and problems. While on Athens Princess excursions, we never saw any problems since the problems were in a different part of the city. They had a transit (taxi) strike so they only allowed People on Princess excursions off the ship. You might want to make sure to book Princess excursions for Turkey just in case the problems persist in Turkey, so if they don't stop there...nothing lost, and if they do...you are good to go.

We were in Istanbul two years ago, very safe and peaceful city. However our tour guide mentioned her fear that radicals from other areas in the country would impact tourism. Her fears may have been realized. It is a terrific cruise port and it will be tragic if events continue.

We will be in Istanbul and Kusadasi in August on the Royal Princess. I hope things calm down over the next couple of months, and our stops there don't get impacted. I am very excited at the prospect of visiting Turkey. The main tourist areas in the old part of the city are pretty quiet from what I hear, but of course anything can change.

Two summers ago, we expected issues in Athens, Greece as there were lots of taxi strikes and unrest in the city over the summer. Thankfully everything was back to normal by the time we arrived and had a wonderful stop in Athens.

I e-mailed our guide in Istanbul.....He said that it is a lie...that nobody had died and that 24 were injured.......?????. Lots of time to get things sorted out before our stop but travellers heading out in the next while should be cautious...

I would take the State Department's recommendations and posting as what should be followed over a tour guide in Istanbul that is having to think about his income and supporting his family (and I do understand why he/she would want to make everyone feel safe. This person needs to feed his family as we all do).

We are also sailing on the Ruby in late September with planned stops in both Kusadasi and Istanbul. I think we will book our excursions through Princess since the threat of cancellation would at least be handled with less hassle. I will be disappointed of course, but would rather be safe. What a shame! I could do with another day at sea since this is a very port intensive cruise. When traveling anywhere we should all be prepared for change!

While there is no evidence of this so far, my biggest fear is Muslim extremist groups will insert themselves into the situation in an attempt to topple the secular, democratic government, as happened in Egypt.

While Erdogan's government was democratically elected, it is hardly secular; his political party AKP traces its roots to a banned Islamic party, and there are increasing signs that he has an agenda of imposing Islam’s moral code on the country, either by executive order or legislation. AKP used its parliamentary majority last week to ban the sale of alcohol after 10PM, which will have the effect of an ice-cold shower on Istanbul’s legendary night life. Several municipalities throughout the country have already banned the sale of liquor at restaurants, private clubs and places of entertainment. Advertising of any kind or sponsorship of alcoholic beverages are also banned. Turkish Airlines has already stopped serving liquor on several routes and prohibited its flight attendants from wearing red lipstick. The airline withdrew its plans, however, to introduce new uniforms that would’ve covered female flight attendants from head to toe after protests made it clear that it could affect business. The Turkish Ministry of Education was outraged that several books that were previously recommend for classroom use were rewritten without the Ministry's consent to include more Islamic themes. Traditional stories of "Pinocchio," "Heidi" and "Tom Sawyer" were rewritten to include characters that wished each other "blessed morning," statements that included "in Allah's name," and one of the "The Three Musketeers" converted to Islam. Some of this sounds laughable, but I'm afraid it could get much more serious very quickly, especially if the army decides to get involved, which it has done several times in the past.

While Erdogan's government was democratically elected, it is hardly secular; his political party AKP traces its roots to a banned Islamic party, and there are increasing signs that he has an agenda of imposing Islam’s moral code on the country, either by executive order or legislation. AKP used its parliamentary majority last week to ban the sale of alcohol after 10PM, which will have the effect of an ice-cold shower on Istanbul’s legendary night life. Several municipalities throughout the country have already banned the sale of liquor at restaurants, private clubs and places of entertainment. Advertising of any kind or sponsorship of alcoholic beverages are also banned. Turkish Airlines has already stopped serving liquor on several routes and prohibited its flight attendants from wearing red lipstick. The airline withdrew its plans, however, to introduce new uniforms that would’ve covered female flight attendants from head to toe after protests made it clear that it could affect business. The Turkish Ministry of Education was outraged that several books that were previously recommend for classroom use were rewritten without the Ministry's consent to include more Islamic themes. Traditional stories of "Pinocchio," "Heidi" and "Tom Sawyer" were rewritten to include characters that wished each other "blessed morning," statements that included "in Allah's name," and one of the "The Three Musketeers" converted to Islam. Some of this sounds laughable, but I'm afraid it could get much more serious very quickly, especially if the army decides to get involved, which it has done several times in the past.

Hello. Istanbul local here. The civil unrest has certainly come to an end in the city. As a matter of fact, you would be lucky if you were visiting the city in these days since the Park and surrounding protest areas are a wonderful tourist attraction. Free yoga, community kitchen, interesting banners from various groups from homosexual rights to communists, excessive graffiti everywhere (ie. penguins wearing gas masks in protest of CNNTurk who ignored the issue in their broadcasts). I'd be happy to answer your questions.