Police of the Turkish Republic. Crime and safety in Turkey Holiday parks and water parks

Let's look at the law enforcement agencies of our beloved Turkey.

In this country, the police are divided into two types - civilian and military.(the so-called gendarmerie). Most often, both structures perform the same functions, but it is worth considering that their tasks are legally different. If you have become a victim of a crime, you should contact the nearest police station, regardless of its type. There is always a person at the police station who speaks English tolerably, but remember - you always have the right to request an interpreter. When contacting law enforcement agencies, do not forget to request a copy of the document indicating the fact of your application.

The police in Turkey are quite strict and have the authority to stop a pedestrian they consider suspicious on the street and search him. That's why Always be sure to have your hotel voucher or passport with you. It is strongly recommended, when communicating with Turkish law enforcement officers, to keep patience and politeness. Any manifestation of your emotions is most often seen as a sign of lying and hiding guilt. If you are detained for any reason, you have every right to call anyone who can confirm your identity, be it a friend, matchmaker, consul or hotelier.

Civil police consists of several divisions, each of them has its own task, local population treats its representatives with respect. By raising the level of education and pay for police officers, Turkey has increased the level of competence of its officers. They are, for the most part, correct and very polite, and are also able to provide professional assistance (this is due to Turkey's struggle for full membership in the EU). Turkish police officers are in touch a large number of hidden informants among garbage collectors, shoe shiners, bagel sellers, taxi drivers, etc. The knowledge of others about their presence prevents a large number of crimes.

If you see a policeman in a blue uniform - know in front of you city security forces. This structure, in addition to the main tasks of maintaining order, often performs the functions of the traffic police and, which is important for you, has excellent knowledge of the city, so its representatives can provide valuable information on choosing a road.

She stands a little to the side road police, whose employees are perfectly recognizable by their special uniform and small (usually double) compact car, on which the letters TR are displayed (the motor vehicles of this unit have a black and yellow stripe). Their direct responsibilities are to regulate traffic, and they have every right to conduct random searches Vehicle, especially at the entrances to cities.

Istanbul, as well as any other major city, has its own rapid response units, similar to our riot police, called Yunus Polis (“dolphins”). They can be easily recognized by their red and black motorcycles and the same uniform; the employees have excellent self-control and good knowledge of English.

Another police unit can most often be found in areas popular with tourists. This tourist police. Its scope of tasks includes everything that may be associated with offenses against foreign nationals on vacation. As a rule, such police officers speak one of the foreign languages: German, English or even Russian.

IN major cities representatives are often found dressed in blue uniforms market police, their duties are to patrol markets and bazaars. They also monitor compliance with trading rules, so they should be contacted in cases of fraud during trading. Their address is in any telephone directory, and their offices are located throughout the city.

This huge army of civilian police is complemented by the real Turkish army - the gendarmerie. It belongs to the country's regular armed forces. Gendarmerie controls border and rural areas (it is worth taking into account that some popular places holidays are located near greek islands, and relations between Turkey and Greece are very strained). Gendarmes do not always wear uniform; it is not uncommon to see their employees in jackets and riding breeches. This type of clothing is reminiscent of a French uniform (it is generally accepted that such a costume should not be perceived as threatening). Most The gendarmes are conscripts, they are very polite and helpful to vacationing tourists, and often quickly respond to the problems of vacationers. But the gendarmerie officers have been the subject of long-standing and serious criticism for their self-interest, inflexibility and corruption.

Another military police unit can be found in Turkey. They can be recognized by their white helmet with the inscription Aslz, aiguillette and white holster. The law does not give them the right to interfere in the lives of citizens, and you should contact them only in cases of extreme necessity or if a crime was committed by military personnel.

It is very interesting that with such an abundant system of law enforcement services, in all areas in the east of the country, policemen are very rare. These areas, inhabited by Kurds, as well as the former Armenian provinces, are under the control of the army. Moreover, the army in these areas behaves quite harshly. On most roads there are checkpoints, and in the mountains near large cities there are entire systems of checkpoints and bases. Checks of documents and cargo are constantly carried out on the roads and streets. Secret police and gendarmerie agents dressed in civilian clothes are actively working. Here, without hesitation, they detain and interrogate any person who seems suspicious to them. The interrogations are quite correct, but take a lot of time and are very tiring. Suspicious persons are usually considered people walking alone or with inappropriate behavior. Restlessness and anxiety are strongly discouraged in these areas. The Kurdish zones located along the borders with Iran and Syria are called the “Gray Zone”; visiting them is not prohibited, and local authorities often demonstratively abdicate any responsibility for the safety of foreigners. On the border with Armenia and Iran there is a border zone several hundred kilometers wide. Entry there is permitted only with special permission, which can be obtained from authorized representatives of local law enforcement agencies.

Turkey's security forces have very broad powers, especially in the east of the country, where the situation is tense with the confrontation between the Kurdish underground and the authorities. There are often gendarmerie and army checkpoints where luggage and documents are checked. Foreigners should behave with restraint and calm, without showing emotions. Under no circumstances should you think of photographing any military installations, as well as soldiers in the performance of their duties.

In compliance, it is necessary to take into account the common crimes in any country related to the transportation and storage of narcotic substances, as well as the search for and export of antiquities equated to them, in terms of severity. It is strongly recommended not to make critical remarks regarding local customs, in no case to insult the memory of Ataturk, to respect the currency and flag of the country, as well as to observe moral norms and Islamic customs. Alcohol intoxication is taken into account as a factor aggravating the guilt of the suspect, regardless of the seriousness of the crime.

We hope that knowledge of Turkish law enforcement agencies will help you navigate critical cases. Enjoy your holiday!

While staying in Turkey, tourists are subject to the jurisdiction of local laws. It cannot be said that they are very different from those generally accepted in the civilized world, but it is better to know some features of Turkish legislation in advance, just in case.

Recently, all types of smoking have been banned in Turkey. public transport(including even taxis) and public places - on the streets, in restaurants, in stadiums, etc. Smoking in unauthorized places results in a fine of 62 new Turkish lira.

Turkish law is very strict regarding the use, storage and transportation of drugs and illegal drugs. Violation of these prohibitions can result in penalties ranging from four to twenty-four years.

It is prohibited to export antiques from Turkey. The danger for tourists here may lie in a fairly broad understanding of the concept of antiques. In addition to the obvious - you should not take objects from archaeological sites - beware of buying antiquities from unauthorized points of sale. When purchasing such items, you must be given an appropriate certificate, which you will need to present when leaving the country. Otherwise, if you have antiques, the punishment will not be limited to simple confiscation - such a violation is punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to ten years.

The use of metal detectors is prohibited in Turkey.

Fans of gambling should forget about such entertainment during their trip to Turkey. Casinos have been banned here for many years. Even for visiting an international one you face a fine.

Insulting the Turkish flag, images of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, or damaging Turkish banknotes is a crime.

It is mandatory that you have some form of identification with a photograph. On the other hand, if you are afraid that your documents may be stolen and prefer to leave them in a safe, you can carry with you at least a photocopy of your passport with a visible photograph by which you can be identified.

To photograph people in Turkey, you need to get their permission to do so. It is strictly prohibited to take photographs near military and government facilities. Please note that Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey is a special military zone. You need special permission from the government if you want to visit these places.

Homosexuality is not an offense in Turkey, but is highly frowned upon. Its public manifestations will entail sanctions for violating public order.

In Turkey, there are no legally established norms on how exactly one should dress, however, when it comes to clothing, Turks are quite conservative. In general, it is more a question of respect for local residents. It is worth considering that in big cities And tourist centers Turks are more tolerant of the way you dress. If you are going to the outback, it is better to try to dress so that your legs and, for women, also your shoulders are covered. From the point of view of the law, only exhibitionism is a violation. However, not so long ago in Turkey there was a case when a Turkish citizen was convicted of exhibitionism after the wind lifted her wide skirt, completely exposing her legs. Although the court's decision on this issue caused protests, the precedent is disappointing.

Police, Gendarmerie and Tourist Police

If you are involved in an accident, according to Turkish law you cannot move your car, even to clear the roadway, and you must wait for the police or gendarmes to arrive.

If you are a victim of a crime, you also need to contact the police or gendarmerie. But besides this, Turkey also has a special Tourist Police. Its main difference is, in fact, that its employees speak different languages, and in any case at least English, while ordinary police officers may not know foreign languages and speak only Turkish.

Turkish Republic Police

1. Turkish Police: general provisions

The first police units in Turkey arose during the Ottoman Empire. In 1845, the Police Regulations were adopted, defining the tasks and responsibilities of the police, which at that time performed paramilitary functions. In 1909, the General Directorate of Security of the Turkish National Police was created, and in 1913, the Ministry of Internal Affairs approved Instructions defining the tasks of the Directorate. In 1932, a law on the organization of the police was passed.

The instructions were in effect until the adoption of Law No. 2559 on the Powers and Responsibilities of the Police in 1934. In 1937, Law No. 3201 “On the Organization of Security” was adopted, regulating the rights, responsibilities, and powers of police personnel. In 2008–2009 Major changes were made to the Law.

Currently, the Turkish police are part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic, in which there is a General Directorate of Security.

The responsibilities of the Turkish police include: ensuring public order, safety of citizens and their property; identification and prosecution of offenders; performing other duties prescribed by laws, regulations and government regulations; crime prevention. The police also have political tasks: maintaining the unity of the state and ensuring constitutional order. In addition, the police also carry out administrative functions, including measures to ensure security and assist other authorities.

Police structure

Internal security and protection of public order in Turkey are carried out by three branches of the police:

1) The Directorate General of Turkish National Police, which is responsible for the territories of city municipalities;

2) the General Command of Gendarmerie, which is responsible for rural areas;

3) The Coast Guard Command, which protects the country's coastline.

Let's take a closer look at them.

1. The Directorate General of the Turkish National Police is divided into the Central Organization and territorial divisions.

The central organization has a rather complex structure.

The Turkish Police is headed by a Director General. Seven departments are subordinate to him: the Office, the Directorate of Press and Protocol Relations, the Intelligence Department, the Special Operations Department, the Inspection Department, the Supervisory Authority, and the Police Command Center.

The General Director is assisted by five deputies, each of whom manages several departments. For example, one of the deputies is responsible for international affairs, which includes: international relations, European affairs, the department of borders and migration, and the department for combating organized crime.

Administratively, Türkiye is divided into provinces, cities and districts. In accordance with this division, Turkey has: 81 provincial police directorates, 751 provincial police directorates, 22 border checkpoint directorates, 18 free zone police stations, 834 police stations.

The central organization is subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the provinces, the heads of police agencies are promptly subordinate to the provincial governors (vali) and district heads (keymakam).

The structure of the central and regional police forces is determined by the law enforcement units, which operate within the civil administrative system and carry out their duties under the authority and control of the civil authorities. The work of the unit is carried out under the supervision of the heads of cities and districts.

Scheme No. 1

2. Turkish Gendarmerie

is a paramilitary armed organization for maintaining security and law and order. It was created and operates on the basis of the Law “On the organization, duties and powers of the gendarmerie”.

The Gendarmerie is responsible for maintaining security and public order and performs other functions prescribed by laws and regulations. The General Command of the Gendarmerie is subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The area of responsibility of the Gendarmerie lies outside the territorial area of police activity.

The Gendarmerie performs four main functions:

1) administrative: crime prevention; detection and investigation of smuggling cases; Department of Corrections security;

2) legal: detection, arrest and transportation of offenders, transfer of evidence in criminal cases to the relevant authorities;

3) military: in accordance with the instructions of the High Command, ensures compliance with the military laws and rules of the country;

4) other: performs other duties prescribed by laws, regulations and government regulations.

The General Command of the Gendarmerie directs the following units:

a) the headquarters of the General Command Unit of the Gendarmerie and assigned units;

B) security units;

B) border units;

d) educational institutions;

e) administrative units and logistics units.

Scheme No. 2

3. Coast Guard

The Turkish Coast Guard was established by the 1982 Coast Guard Law. The Coast Guard carries out its tasks in territorial, inland waters Turkey, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The Turkish Coast Guard performs the following tasks:

a) protection of the safety of territorial waters;

b) ensuring the safety of life and property at sea;

c) preventing smuggling activities carried out at sea;

d) search and rescue operations in Turkey's area of responsibility;

e) prevention of marine pollution.

The Turkish Coast Guard Command is based in Ankara. Under his leadership there are four regional commands in the areas:

a) the Black Sea;

b) the Sea of Marmara and the straits;

B) Aegean Sea;

G) Mediterranean Sea.

Coast Guard Headquarters includes the Directorate of Training and Education, the Air Support Directorate, the Coast Guard Supply Center, and six Coast Guard groups reporting to regional commands.

4. Police officers

Each of the three branches of the Turkish police has its own requirements for employees.

A. Employees of the Directorate General of Security

Turkey's General Directorate of Security is composed of police officers, commanding officers (of various ranks) and civil servants. The command structure includes the following ranks: CEO Turkish police, police superintendent ranks 1–4, superintendent, chief inspector, inspector, deputy inspector, police officer.

Turkish police personnel receive two types of education:

– on-the-job education provided by the Education Department of the General Directorate of Security;

– preparatory professional course for the Police Academy. The Academy provides five different programs: basic education (Vocational Police Graduate School; 2 years);

Studying for a Bachelor's degree (Institute of Security Sciences; 4 semesters);
Postgraduate studies (Institute of Security Sciences; 4 semesters);
studying at public higher education institutions in Ankara; management education.

Two police colleges (in Ankara and Bursa) are directly subordinate to the Directorate General of Security. There are also other educational institutions that provide on-the-job training for experts, such as the Turkish International Anti-Drug and Organized Crime Academy and the Crime Investigation Research and Education Center.

5. Gendarmerie employees

The Gendarmerie employs: officers, sergeants, specialized gendarmes, specialized sergeants, cadets, conscripts and conscripts, as well as civil servants and workers.

The number of officers includes: second lieutenants of the gendarmerie who graduated from the Military Academy; contract officers; non-commissioned officers of the Gendarmerie.

Second lieutenants of the Gendarmerie who graduated from the Military Academy and non-commissioned officers of the Gendarmerie undergo training in legal, administrative, military and other units of the Gendarmerie. They attend the Gendarmerie Officers' School for a year, after which they undergo a four-month "Commando Course" at a special school. Gendarmerie officers who have successfully completed their training serve in the district units of the Gendarmerie.

Sergeants (non-commissioned military personnel) include: a) sergeants (graduates high school), studying at vocational schools for non-commissioned military personnel; b) specialized gendarmerie: sergeants and female sergeants serving on a contract basis (certified specialists who graduated from a technical university or college) who have completed the Basic Training Course for Gendarmes - NCOs.

The specialized gendarmerie includes graduates of special schools, colleges, technical special schools and universities. Employees of the Specialized Gendarmerie receive military and professional education at the Specialized School of the Gendarmerie for a year. Upon completion, they undergo a six-month internship in the places where they will serve.
Specialized sergeants are divided into:

a) military personnel of special forces;

b) military personnel and sergeants not included in special forces.

Sergeants, corporals and special forces personnel are conscripted by the Department of National Defense under the Military Service Act.

Civil servants are hired by the General Command of the Gendarmerie.

6. Coast Guard Personnel

The Turkish Coast Guard personnel consists of officers; sergeants; sergeants and contract soldiers; civil servants.

After graduating from the Naval Academy or the Turkish Maritime Vocational High School for Sergeants, Coast Guard officers and non-commissioned officers receive specialized education by attending the Basic "Coast Guard Course" at the Training and Education Center.

Civil servants from among graduates of the relevant faculties of the country's universities are hired for positions for which training is not carried out in military educational institutions. Training of civilian employees takes place at their workplace with the assistance of the Coast Guard Training and Education Office.

The military personnel of the Coast Guard includes the following ranks: vice admiral of the coast guard, rear admiral, captain 1–3 ranks, captain, lieutenant, junior lieutenant, midshipman, senior sailor, sailor.

CONTENT:
- Gendarme in Turkey it is a cross between the police and the army.
- Situation in “hot spots”(usually these are places where Kurds live).
- Increasing inspections in Turland in 2015, and the reasons for this.
- About specific situations that happened in Turkey with me and my friend Mikhail (we hitchhiked there and walked a little, but separately, and in different months).
- What can be done to reduce risks.

The latest is below:
- My fresh experience of three autumn months in 2017 in Turkey.
- Civil servants in Turkey were banned from traveling abroad in 2016(after the coup attempt).
- Fethullah Gülen(former ally, and now ideological enemy of President Erdogan).

Basic strong structure in Turkey these are the police, the army and the gendarme (spelled Jandarma in Turkish). It seems that the Turks adopted this name and the idea of structure from the French (however, the Turks adopted a lot from them, including various words).

Gendarme in Turkey

So, in Turkey gendarme is something between the police and the army. A kind of “militarized police”. Although, in fact, this is an army unit, in the ranks of which young Turkish citizens serve in military service. However, unlike "normal" army units, gendarmerie posts and units are located about as often as police buildings/posts. Somewhere more, somewhere less.

The gendarme is designed to control the situation and respond quickly (and this function is similar to the Russian riot police). However, if the riot police in Russia are mainly “call boys”, then the gendarme in Turkey, in addition to “call boys”, also performs the role of police, traffic police (called “jandarma trafik”), patrols tourist places, etc…
These paramilitary units are located in all regional centers, in many large villages and on the roads between them in case of terrorist attacks (the main threat, according to the Turks themselves, comes from Kurdish separatists).

Model of the car of the same “jandarma trafik” (“gendarme traffic”), performing the role of traffic police on the roads of Turkey. In Turkey, such “scarecrows” for drivers stand on many main roads.

Although next shot made in northern Cyprus (Turkish part of the island), however, in fact (from the 1980-90s to 2016) this territory is almost like an unofficial province of Turkey, which was recognized even by citizens of Turkey and citizens of Cyprus (moreover, both of its southern parts and northern)… The photo was taken at the entrance/exit of the park. A gate on which it is clearly written that the park is closed from 18.00 to 7.00 am. And don't try to break it!!. A stern poster reminds us of this with the words “Forbidden zone”.

The edge of the park is located on the border with southern Cyprus (the Greek part), with which northern Cyprus has not had very good relations for about 40 years (and in the 1970s there was a war), and in connection with this, barbed wire is tied around the park and this banner

In Turkey, exactly the same posters are always found on walls and gates Gendarmerie... Usually the posters also have inscriptions in different languages (including English and German) that it is forbidden to take photographs. But in this case, no such poster was seen nearby.

Türkiye has almost always been famous for its good attitude towards tourists. Hitchhiking in Turkey was also reputed to be one of the best in the world.
However, in areas where Kurds live (where they are the majority - this is the east and south-east of Turkey) from time to time there are unrest (and even shootouts) - the Kurds want to gain independence from Turkey, but the ruling Turks do not allow them (and it is difficult to imagine any government that easily agrees give up any territories under its control).

And in such places (almost “hot spots” - from the point of view of the Turkish authorities) during my travels checks happened several times(but they always let me go quickly) or they said that you can’t go/go there, “a brick will hit your head”... Well, nope, nope.

But in the rest of Turkey (where the Kurds are in a clear minority) it was extremely rare to hear about any such problems. However, problems began to become more frequent. Perhaps this is due to the protracted war in Syria, because there are many refugees from there, and they are becoming less controllable.

Turkish punks are periodically found in various nooks and corners. However, the danger from her comes much less than from Russian gopniks... During all the many months of traveling around Turkey, I don’t remember any problems with Turkish youth (although it is not uncommon for them to drink alcohol).

About specific situations with the gendarmerie and the police

I'll start with an excursion into 2015. I remember how in some small NON-tourist cities several times, a car drove up to me, who was walking smoothly with a backpack and not making any suspicious movements at all, the door opened, and an uncle got out (in civilian clothes, and the car also had no special identification marks) and handed me a certificate of something ( and there was a walkie-talkie hanging on his belt, or his uncle was holding it in his hand).
Immediately a question from my uncle - “Passport?” After a couple of minutes of inspection, they gave us my passport and wished me good luck.

I then assumed that due to the influx of Syrian refugees cases of their uncontrolled movement and escape from their “humanitarian camps”, which were found everywhere in Turkey, have become more frequent (I saw such camps several times while moving around the remnants of Ottoman Empire). And for this reason, the police began to catch Syrian refugees. Inspections have become more frequent.

One of my friends Mikhail Pavlyuk 1.5 months from November 2016 to January 2017 plowed the half-snowy expanses of Turkey... Misha and I corresponded on Facebook, and he told me that his“I’m already really tired of these checks.” Below are excerpts from our conversations.

Misha:
However, in Turkey it becomes interesting: you'll almost turn there, and people come up to you, introduce themselves as police officers, demand your passport and show the contents of your backpack. Almost like in Afghanistan in 2012. I’d better go back to calm Georgia.

My answer:
Well, in Turkey, terrorist attacks have recently become more frequent (and there, in fact, in those weeks, terrorist attacks happened 2-3 times a week). We had this on TV in the news...Yes, there is such a nuance - the more non-tourist movements you make(and about half of your movements are non-tourist), the more suspicion there is. And now even more so. Such episodes (terrorist attacks and other unrest) create panic in everyone, and the police themselves can take many unnecessary actions, only causing even more chaos and confusion, although they are trying to do better.

Misha:
True about the movements))). To an outsider who has not been to Turkey, it may seem that something terrible is going on here, looking at the news. Although I remember 10 years ago, they also sometimes took me off the highway and took me somewhere to check. Now smartphones have appeared, so they just click the passports on the camera and don’t even take them away.

A few days later Misha writes:
In general, checks began to go off scale in Turkey. It would be interesting to even write a storyabout my arrest yesterday.
Briefly: I met a guy on the street, got to talking, and then he said he was a policeman and offered to help the police find a place to stay for the night.For some reason I agreed, he called his superiors and said that they would come and help. Then I was taken to the main department and subjected to a thorough search.

They even unwrapped the sleeping bag, took pictures of all the pages with addresses in the notebook and asked who this or that friend was. Moreover, they behaved as if they had seen a tourist for the first time in Malatya (a city in the central part of the country, but a little closer to the east).

Well, I’ll keep silent about stupid questions; people clearly didn’t shine with intelligence. I had to explain to them about couchsurfing (free international network hospitality), and about why people walk through the mountains and take photographs. They especially tried to answer honestly how much money I had on me! Then smarter people from the foreigners department arrived and quickly sorted everything out)). In general, a fun life in Turkey.
Oh, I forgot to add one detail - “evidence” was removed from the backpack while wearing rubber gloves!!!

Next again Misha:
Yes, they also only approached me in civilian clothes. In Anamur (Mersin province), even from the opposite side of the street they saw me and shouted something, then they caught up with me, tugged at my backpack, and in a rather rude manner demanded my documents.

And yesterday, when I was passing through one village after registering (in the place where the overnight stay was or will be), they noticed me in the center, then two people chased me for 1 km and informed someone on the phone that there is one foreigner walking around here. Then they told me to wait, andThe military arrived in a tank!!!
They wanted to see the backpack, but showed me a paper from the Malatian police about my “case” and immediately let me go... In general, this paper now greatly reduces communication with the authorities.

Yesterday also, when on Mount Palandoken (famous ski resort near Erzurum) I wanted to go, and there were military men standing there with machine guns and checking everyone. Because, Now I’m leaving my backpack altogether on the list, because he is the one who irritates people the most.
You can even say that Türkiye has now become a kind of place for thrill-seekers.

Login Turkish gendarme department in a certain regional center. They just tied up some criminal element. In the upper right corner of the photo you can see a sign where it says that you can call the gendarme at number 156... Such signs and signs for the gendarme are everywhere in Turkey and its roads and streets, and literally on a par with police signs.

Yes, it may be that something is wrong with Misha. Perhaps he makes a lot of strange movements and appears in unexpected places (that is, where, in theory, a foreigner should not set foot). Likes to go/run to some mountain, etc...
But in general, he came right at the very peak of all sorts of relevant events— one after another there was the murder of the Russian ambassador, a massacre in a nightclub on New Year's Eve and soon a terrorist attack in Izmir (and perhaps something else).

It is precisely after such situations that the police sharply become more active, and I know this well from myself, because I also had a lot of checks in almost all the countries and regions of the Middle East and Caucasus that I have visited (except, perhaps, Georgia, and in Armenia it was only once).
And I don’t consider this time spent in the circle of military and police officers to be wasted... Although, of course, at first it tends to seem lost, because things are not unfolding according to my will and command. However, as an experience it is quite interesting.

More often the purpose of attack by Kurdish terrorists are military, police or government agencies such as the judiciary. They thus show that they are fighting the authorities (especially the security forces) and not ordinary citizens. But sometimes explosions also occur in public places where ordinary citizens gather.

Recently, there has been an increase in terrorist attacks by Islamic radicals. And they are often committed by people from the Arab world. They no longer shun public places, because, as experts say, their main goal is to intimidate the population and remind them of themselves and their plans to create a global Islamic state...If you happen to be in Turkey, then to reduce the risk of being at the site of a bomb explosion, it is better to avoid large crowds of tourists, police and military personnel.

No, this one police officer, most likely, did not force the boy to clean his shoes. Surely, this guy is just earning extra money in this way - in Turkey, many males (only men, not women) earn their living in this way... This is a tradition in almost all Muslim countries of the Middle East - both the owner of the shoes enjoys walking in polished shoes, and the cleaner earns money .

My fresh experience from 2017 in Turkey

I was in Turland for all 3 autumn months in 2017. And there were 10 times that they asked me for my passport, but that was the extent of the matter. Usually it was a gendarme (an army structure, but with police functions, including a traffic gendarme - “Trafik Jandarma”).

And during one such check this year, I was recognized by a gendarmerie officer who looked at my passport a couple of years ago in the same province of Erzurum (and in some of its regions there are Kurds, and there are unrest). Then in 2015 I was walking along the highway along beautiful scenery 20-30 km from the town of Oltu. This time I also stomped, but in a different place (40 km away), and when this officer looked at the passport, he asked me if it was me he had met 2-3 years ago.

Also, for example, whenI went to the resort of Marmaris (this is the province of Muğla = Muğla in southwestern Turkey), then when driving past a gendarmerie post, they stop almost all cars and check almost all people’s documents.
It would seem that this is not the southeast, not the Kurdish lands. Why would these be such total checks??? And because this route through Marmaris is one of the routes for Syrian refugees who want to escape even further - to Europe.

There, if you drive from Marmaris to western edge very long peninsula (or rather, there are even two peninsulas), then we get to quite an easy route to the Greek islands (from which Syrian fugitives are transported further along the “stage” to Germany and other countries with a humane attitude towards people, where, as the fugitives hope, they “should” be provided with shelter, food, a washing machine, cash benefits, etc.). Well, here is a map of this archipelago of Turkish peninsulas and Greek islands.

Turkish gendarme unit- right in one of the many natural conical pillars in the beautiful town of Pasabag ( historical region, where there are a lot of such pillars, “stone mushrooms” and other natural masterpieces, and there are a lot of tourists there). The gendarme post is there to protect the peace of tourists who come to admire these beauties.

In general, I already I saw a lot of Syrian refugees in Turkey working quite legally. For this you just need to pay the standard tariff for foreigners - 1400 liras (for this moment about $350) for permission to work whole year in Turkey (I don’t know if they also pay a fee for permission to just stay in the country for a year - for ordinary foreigners this fee is 1200 liras)…Some of them even open their own shops and cafes (of course, they pay even more taxes for this business).

And also in the same southwestern region of Turkey (where in more early years it was always quite calm, as far as I know) 2-3 times on the highway the car (in which I was traveling) was stopped by a gendarme and checked the documents. Including the girls sitting in the car. However, in these cases they released us quickly - within a minute or two.

I don’t remember if Turkish drivers asked me the question in previous years “Do you have a passport?”(well, maybe they asked a couple of times), but this year they asked about the passport in almost every third or fifth car (apparently, so as not to suddenly get into trouble during the check - because if the passenger does not have a passport, suspicion usually automatically falls and per driver, although, of course, this depends on the country and the specific situation). And sometimes the drivers wanted to see my passport in person.

And also, I had to see several times (especially this year) when there is a gendarme temporarily stationed on the highway, and stops the cars they like. At least a couple of times I watched their work opposite on the other side of the highway, standing on its side and hitchhiking. But in those cases the gendarmes did not call me or approach me, although they clearly saw me.

In the center Turkish city In Erzurum, I once saw this military parade in honor of Independence Day.

I attended this parade with my full backpack and felt like I was being closely watched. There was a crowd of civilians standing there, and among them, most likely, were secret service officers in disguise. Although, photography was not prohibited (and the fact that I was photographing said a little about the fact that I want to capture this parade as a memory, and not blow up anything)... If I didn’t have a backpack with me (or at least it would be half empty ), then the interest in me would most likely be much weaker (because there may be something explosive in a large bag or sack stuffed with something).

Civil servants in Turkey are prohibited from traveling abroad

Just a few days after the last failed coup attempt in 2016(then President Erdogan managed to evacuate by helicopter) almost all civil servants in Turkey were prohibited from traveling abroad. Various people there told me this.

One lady (with whom I lived at home for a couple of days, she is a school teacher) was already on her way to the border with Georgia when such a resolution was adopted. Arriving at passport control, an unpleasant surprise awaited her. I had to return home... As far as I know, the decree is still in force (at least in November 2017 it was still in force, according to civil servants).

Of course, almost none of the civil servants are happy with this. And this is another reason to criticize the country’s authorities.
By the way, some people (they are usually among those who do not like Erdogan and his power) express doubts that there was a coup attempt at all. According to their version, it was a performance to stage a coup scene, so that the authorities would have more reasons to tighten the screws.

IN eastern Turkey(near the regional center Tuzluca) we came across these landscapes by chance. I walked there for about 5-6 hours.

Fethullah Gülen

According to the Turkish government, Fethullah Gülen (and the FETOH organization he heads), who has been living in the United States since 1999 and does not want to return to his homeland, is involved in the 2016 coup attempt, since 2-3 criminal cases have been opened against him.
At first, Gülen and Erdogan were ideological comrades and closest political friends, but then their paths diverged.

Gülen is somewhat close to the ideas of Sufism, although he is not a Sufi. Quote from Wikipedia:
“Fethullah Gülen knows and respects the Sufi tradition well, despite the fact that he himself was not a member of any tariqa. He teaches that Muslims do not have to enter the tariqa (Sufi order), but Sufism is the internal dimension of Islam, which should never be separated from the external."

When I was in Turkey for 3 months in 2017, I repeatedly heard from people that “Fethullah is bad.” And I have never heard positive feedback about him (perhaps people are afraid to express this).

This was one of the articles

If you have had any experience of contact with the police in Turkey, you can write about it in the comments below.