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== Getting In ==It's not very likely that drivers will ask for money, but it happens occasionally. If you feel your status as a free hitchhiker is unclear, make sure to say ''para(m) yok'' before you get into the car. On the other hand, this might offend drivers who genuinely want to help you and do not expect money.
[[File:CraigThumbingAsiaTurkey.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[User:Halt, Stop! Reudnitz kommt.|Craig]] hitching in [[Cappadocia]] en route to [[Malaysia]]]] Getting a visa Hitchhiking at the border is easy for most people, oftentimes even free. Refer to [http://wikitravel.org/en/Turkey#Get_in this article] for detailed information. There is one main border crossing each with Greece ([[Ipsala]]) and with Bulgaria ([[Kapitan Andreevo-Kapıkule border crossing]]). Going to Georgia, you'll likely pass [[Sarp-Sarpi border crossing]] or through the smaller border crossing in [[Posof]] which requires a bit more patience and time night works well as long as there's not that much traffic. Towards Iran you might chose between [[Bazargan-Doğubeyazıt border crossing|Doğubeyazıt]] stand in the North and [[Yuksekova-Esendere border crossing|Yuksekova]] in the South and one east of Van. There are no border crossings with Armenia. For [[Iraq#Iraqi Kurdistan|Iraqi Kurdistan]], there's two border crossings. Only one of them seems to be open for foreigners, the one South of Yuksekova. Syria and Turkey have a number of border posts as well, many of which might be closed at the moment. The busiest one is Bab al-Hawa, connecting [[Antakya]] with [[Aleppo]]. In 2008, [[User:Guaka|Guaka]] was refused entry by a border guard presumably expecting a ''baksheesh''. This appears to have been an isolated incident, thoughsomewhat visible spot.
Turkey has been getting What follows is a bad reputation list of general guidelines for girls hitchhiking following in Turkey. Remember, however, that you cannot fully master the murder different dynamics of [[Pippa]] in April 2008 and the presence social interaction, especially between members of many disheartening storiesopposite sexes, going from minor harassment (see for example Personal Experiences section) until you've been exposed to near-miss murder/rape cases like the one [[User:Zenit|Zenit]] and the girl he was travelling with experienced in November 2011. While these things shouldninital special attention you't deter anybody from travelling in Turkey, they certainly prove that there is a specific code of conduct different from any other country that needs to be respected in order to avoid unnecessary problems. It will take ll receive as a little bit of travelling in the country first to get used to this different dynamic, so this will be the time to be extra cautious. Further good reading for girls foreigner and anybody else travelling in Turkey is [http://youarealltourists.blogspot.com/2008/04/hitchhiking-guide-to-turkey-for-girls.html this blog]. Safety is always important while hitchhiking, so check the [[Hitchhikerpossibly made some beginning's safety|Safety]] article before going out to wave your thumb!mistakes.
Following is a list of general guidelines for hitchhiking in Turkey. Remember, though, that you cannot fully master the different dynamics of social interaction, especially between members of opposite sexes, until you've been exposed to the inital special attention you'll receive as a foreigner and possibly made some enlightening minor learner's mistakes.
== Transportation ==[[File:Mikeeg555 hitching in Turkey.jpg|thumb|250px|left|[[User:Mikeeg555|Mikeeg555]] hitching in Turkey]]When As long as you hitchhike in this countrystick to the south coast, people might try putting you on a ''dolmuş'' (mınıbus) or bringing you ll be able to have a swim in the Aegean any sunny winter day. On some places it''otogar'' (bus station). The dolmuş is s just hitching 100km north into the most common way of public transport inside mountains and between cities & towns. These small buses that are advised to be used for small distances will stop anywhere on the road even if you don't signal them to stop. Generally, the ride on a dolmuş costs between 1 and 3 Lira.ll see snow too!
For larger distances === Hitchhiking buses (coaches) are more common. They provide reliable service and are pretty comfortable. Free tea and snacks are generally served along the way, and the buses tend to stop in nice [[rest area]]s. Some drivers who pick you up as a hitchhiker may try to convince you to take a bus. If you do end up on a bus they are relatively cheap although not as cheap as trains which are slower but more adventurous.===
Of [[File:Mikeeg555 hitching in Turkey.jpg|thumb|250px|left|[[User:Mikeeg555|Mikeeg555]] hitching in Turkey]]While waiting beside the transportation options road, town-to-town minibus drivers (which involve payment, trains are can be recognized by far the cheapest in the countrybanners proclaiming town names all over) and intercity buses will flash their headlights or honk at you — to ask whether you'd like a ride (for a fee, especially if you are under 27of course). Don't be afraid to stop them and say "''Param yok'' (which literally translates "I don't have money"), it's ok?". A couple of hitchhikers did this when you are entitled a bus stopped beside them to drop a 20passenger, and then they kept doing this everytime, and about 30% discount of the buses gave them a ride. [[User:Sirrdc|Sirrdc]] also had great success hitchhiking on already cheap faresintercity buses. HoweverInside the cities, as the network doesnit't reach far s even easier; ask them politely and wide, most of what is interesting in Turkey is out of rail coverage, though they are still a good bet if will take you need a night's sleep during the ride, especially in inland regions where rail network is relatively denserbit further ahead.
=== Hitchhiking buses ===While waiting beside the road, town-to-town minibus drivers (which can be recognized by banners proclaiming town names all over) and intercity buses will flash their headlights or honk at you — to ask whether you'd like a ride (for a fee, of course)[[File:turkeyhitch.jpg|thumb|350px|[[User:Chael777|Chael]]<small><sup>[http://www. Don't be afraid to stop them and say "''Param yok'' (which literally translates "I don't have money"), it's ok?"velabas. A couple of hitchhikers did this when a bus stopped beside them com/ site]</sup></small> hitching south to drop a passangerBodrum, and then they kept doing this everytime, and about 30% of the buses gave them a ride. Inside the cities, it's even easier; ask them politely and they will take you a bit further ahead.April 2008]]
A great way to reduce your bottled water costs, especially in :Southeastern Anatolia (usually the hot southern/Mediterranean first car passing by offering a lift) > North coast of Turkey is to use free cold water dispensers, locally called ''sebil'' (pronounced ''say-beel''Black Sea Region), which can usually be found on the sides of the streets and mosque courtyards (one in less-touristed towns and neighbourhoods in Mediterranean every ten cars offering a lift) > Northwest/European Turkey. They look like small, white refrigators and usually have two faucets: red one delivers warm (or mildly hot depending on the weatherThrace) water, while the blue one offers comfortably cold water. Though the water coming out of the faucets is (most waits not from a commercially-bottled jarexceeding 5 mins) > Inland steppes (Central Anatolia, and longest waits likely from the city water network, it's harmless and causes no stomach upsets. A way to reduce the risk may be allowing yourself a week after arrival in the region to get accustomed to local microflora and -fauna that may be present in the water and then taking full advantage of ''sebil''s.[[File:turkeyhitch.jpg|thumb|350px|[[User:Chael777|Chael]]<small~20 mins) ><supNorthwest/Asian Marmara (South Marmara) >[http://www.velabas.com/ site]</supAegean Region ></smallSouthwest coast (Lycia) > hitching south Rest of Mediterranean coast (expect waits up to Bodrumtwo hours!), April 2008]]with eastern mountains (Eastern Anatolia) perhaps falling somewhere between Central Anatolia and South Marmara.
== Sleep ==[[Finding accommodation|Hospitality exchange]] networks have many friendly members in TurkeyAs can be clearly seen, less touristy somewhere is, easier to attract a lift there. That being said, and however, there are of course helpful drivers on the highways of the south, too, although they can help you with an accommodationseem to be exceptions rather than the rule.
All towns in Turkey have an ''OtoGar'', a bus terminal. Most of these offer a warm and fairly safe place to spend a night. Nonetheless, be careful and try to place your luggage in such a way so that you are surely to be awaken in case if someone tries to take your things. * [[:Category:Antalya (Province)|Antalya Province]]* [[:Category:Çanakkale (Province)|Çanakkale Province]]* [[Cappadocia]] * [[:Category:Muğla (Province)|Muğla Province]]* [[:Category:Southeastern Anatolia|Southeastern Anatolia]]
Smaller towns outside the main tourist areas have very cheap hotels, starting at 8 Lira.== Personal Experiences ==
Outside of populated areas, almost every gas station has mescit (pronounced''- Some recent thoughts and reflections about hitchhiking Turkey as a solo female at [https: mes//anaimlesshitchhiker.com/2013/01/04/an-update-about-hitchhiking-solo-as-jeet), something like a small mosque, and it-female-in-turkey/ an aimless hitchhiker]'s a perfect place for sleeping. Just take respect of their religion, take off the shoes, wash hands and feet, and pay attention not to sleep by the wall where mihrab (niche) is. Don't ask gas station staff could you sleep there because they would probably say no, although they use it for taking a rest, but once you are inside, nobody will disturb you.
Many truck drivers will have an extra bunk in their truck cabin, and they are usually happy to offer it to a hitchhiker.
Wild camping is pretty much possible, OK, ''- 2020 february i hitchiked from Batumi border to Istanbul and legal except 1200 km i did in large urban agglomerations. Just be discreet, away from sight of houses and roads2. Private property such as farmland and oliveyards are technically off the limits, however if you arrive late, break the camp early, and leave no trace of your stay 5 days (including removing any trash and not damaging any cropswith sleeping in nights), it is no problem at all . Just stick to camp at those places. Beware of fires, though, as most of Turkey lies in Mediterranean climatic zone which is very arid in summer, most of country's terrain is naturally covered main highways and make text with dry grasses in summer monthsbig city 300 km away. So while wild camping, try to avoid On the temptation to build campfires; even cigarette butts that are not properly distinguished and disposed of can result paid highway i got ride in damages that you can't even dream of5 minutes.. Another thing to take note Also i seen alot of while camping is the scorpions (local youth hitchiking around''akrep'' in Turkish), especially in southern Mediterranean coast and in southeastern parts of the country—keep the zip of your tent and backpack always locked, check and shake your shoes before putting them on.
== Cities and License plates ==
{{Cities ''- Hitchhiking out was really a hassle. It is easy to get a lift, but people do not understand that you need to follow the highway. They think you want to take a bus, and thus it gets complicated. In other parts of Turkey}}I had a recorded message by Turkish friends explaining what I was actually doing and what I needed from drivers. I didn't have it when leaving IST, and it was a mistake. Get a Turkish friend to record a message on your phone which you can play to the drivers who give you a lift. It should say something like: "I'm from COUNTRY, and right now I'm hitchhiking from PLACE to PLACE. Can you help me with ride please??"
The first two numbers of the Turkish car plates indicate the city a car is registered in. These are sorted from 1 to 81 alphabetically. This rule is not applicable for villages that recently received the status of cities.
The number is given ''- 2 times I hitchhiked from Istanbul to Asia and once back to a whole province, eEurope.gI didn´t have any map of the city and I haven´t use any bus because hitchhiking from Istanbul is very easy. [[Antalya]] There are a lot of cars and [[Alanya]] turkish drivers will not let you wait. If you are both 07, as they are situated goning to Asia and you´re still in european part so the best spot is probably on the same province start of Bosphorus bridge. To get out from Istanbul you always need to take more cars(Antalya Provinceabout 3-5 cars).In this city you can use hitchhiking as a public transport, just raise you´re tumb and there is a big chance that you´ll come forexample to city center faster than by metro.''
[[File:Turkish-truck-and-truck-driver-2008.jpg|thumb|right|350px|A truck, the driver, a boy working at the gas station and [[User:Guaka|guaka]], somewhere between [[Ankara]] and [[Gaziantep]] October 2008]]
<table border="0"><tr><td>
* 01 [[Adana]]
* 02 [[Adıyaman]]
* 03 [[Afyonkarahisar]]
* 04 [[Ağrı]]
* 05 [[Amasya]]
* 06 [[Ankara]]
* 07 [[Antalya]]
* 08 [[Artvin]]
* 09 [[Aydın]]
* 10 [[Balıkesir]]
* 11 [[Bilecik]]
* 12 [[Bingöl]]
* 13 [[Bitlis]]
* 14 [[Bolu]]
* 15 [[Burdur]]
* 16 [[Bursa]]
* 17 [[Çanakkale]]
* 18 [[Çankırı]]
* 19 [[Çorum]]
* 20 [[Denizli]]
* 21 [[Diyarbakır]]
* 22 [[Edirne]]
* 23 [[Elazığ]]
* 24 [[Erzincan]]
* 25 [[Erzurum]]
* 26 [[Eskişehir]]
* 27 [[Gaziantep]]
</td><td>
* 28 [[Giresun]]
* 29 [[Gümüşhane]]
* 30 [[Hakkari]]
* 31 [[Hatay]]
* 32 [[Isparta]]
* 33 [[Mersin]]
* 34 [[Istanbul]]
* 35 [[Izmir]]
* 36 [[Kars]]
* 37 [[Kastamonu]]
* 38 [[Kayseri]]
* 39 [[Kırklareli]]
* 40 [[Kırşehir]]
* 41 [[Kocaeli]]
* 42 [[Konya]]
* 43 [[Kütahya]]
* 44 [[Malatya]]
* 45 [[Manisa]]
* 46 [[Kahramanmaraş]]
* 47 [[Mardin]]
* 48 [[Muğla]]
* 49 [[Muş]]
* 50 [[Nevsehir|Nevşehir]]
* 51 [[Niğde]]
* 52 [[Ordu]]
* 53 [[Rize]]
* 54 [[Adapazari|Sakarya]]
</td><td>
* 55 [[Samsun]]
* 56 [[Siirt]]
* 57 [[Sinop]]
* 58 [[Sivas]]
* 59 [[Tekirdağ]]
* 60 [[Tokat]]
* 61 [[Trabzon]]
* 62 [[Tunceli]]
* 63 [[Urfa|Şanlıurfa]]
* 64 [[Uşak]]
* 65 [[Van]]
* 66 [[Yozgat]]
* 67 [[Zonguldak]]
* 68 [[Aksaray]]
* 69 [[Bayburt]]
* 70 [[Karaman]]
* 71 [[Kırıkkale]]
* 72 [[Batman]]
* 73 [[Sirnak|Şırnak]]
* 74 [[Bartın]]
* 75 [[Ardahan]]
* 76 [[Iğdır]]
* 77 [[Yalova]]
* 78 [[Karabük]]
* 79 [[Kilis]]
* 80 [[Osmaniye]]
* 81 [[Düzce]]
</td></tr></table>
== Regions ''- My friend and Their Hitchability ==I (both female) hitched through Turkey from the Greek border to Cappadocia and it was quite stressful. We never waited long for a ride and most of the people we rode with insisted on buying us chai (just tea) and meals. However, I would say that with about 90 percent of our rides we got our butts, boobs, or crotches grabbed, or at least asked for sex. We had to make our driver leave us on the side of the road a lot in the middle of nowhere so that was kinda dangerous. And it took us about 10 hours to make it 25 miles from just before Istanbul to just past the city. People kept trying to take us into the city or someplace we didn't want to go. We were so glad when we finally made it out of Turkey at the Bulgarian border. It was an adventure though and I would recommend traveling through Turkey, just be aware that all of the other women standing on the side of the road are prostitutes. It was all just a giant misunderstanding and a lack of respect, to some extent, on our part, for the local culture. When hitching here maybe you can learn how to say "we are just traveling and we aren't looking for sex may we still have a ride" before getting in a vehicle. For the record, our drivers always let us out when we told them too and nothing dramatic happened beyond the daily grabbings.''
While in general it is fairly easy to attract a lift in Turkey, locals' view of hitchhikers vary across the country. In general, people in northern and inland regions of the country are friendlier towards hitchhikers. If put systematically, the level of ease to get a lift in various regions of the country is as follows in general, from easiest to hardest:
:Southeastern Anatolia (usually ''- I have just finished my second two-week trip alone through Turkey just hitchhiking, and my experience has not been at all like the first car passing by offering a lift) > North coast (Black Sea Region) (above. I was quite shocked when I read it! I was traveling for long distances almost every day and I must have hitched with over fifty drivers – and only one in every ten cars offering a lift) > Northwest/European Turkey (Thrace) (most waits not exceeding 5 mins) > Inland steppes (Central Anatolia, longest waits likely ~20 mins) > Northwest/Asian Marmara (South Marmara) > Aegean Region > Southwest coast (Lycia) > Rest of Mediterranean coast (expect waits up those drivers touched me apart from to two hours!)shake my hand, and I was asked for sex twice, relatively politely, and both accepted no as an answer. I was treated with eastern mountains (Eastern Anatolia) perhaps falling somewhere between Central Anatolia courtesy, respect, generosity, kindness, invites home to meet their families, and yes, tea and South Marmaraoranges. Also people kept buying me bus tickets rather than 'letting' me hitchhike on, which was horribly embarrassing! I think people who picked me up probably did consider that I might be a prostitute, but easily accepted that I wasn't judging on behavior. I suspect that experiences like the above depend on inappropriate behaviour or dress, or horribly bad luck. I don't speak Turkish, so sometimes it was a bit boring, which was probably the worst thing about hitchhiking. I would recommend not understanding the questions about whether you're alone or married- not speaking Turkish can actually help! And also be aware that Turkish women hitchhiking sit in the back seat of cars, same as in taxis.''
As can be clearly seen, less touristy somewhere is, easier to attract a lift there. That being said, however, there are of course helpful drivers on the highways of the south, too, although they seem to be exceptions rather than the rule.
* [[:Category:Antalya (Province)|''- I hitch-hiked with a male friend for 3.5 weeks in Turkey. We started from Istanbul, to Safranbolu, Yozgat, Malatya, Nemrut Daig, Cappadocia, Kalkan and back to Istanbul. I was asked to have sex with the bus conductor after one of the bus conductor invited us to take us and he found out that my friend and I are just friends traveling together. Well, that's just a minor issue. We got picked up by an old man when we were hitch-hiking from Cappadocia to Nemrut Dagi. The old man had only 2 fingers on his right hand, and he was driving at the speed of 150 km/h, drinking tea and talking over the phone while my friend and I were sitting at the back! He drove us to a town nearby to do some sight-seeing and invited us to stay with his daughter's family! We ended up staying there for 3 nights. My fiend joined her husband to work while i stayed at home with the wife doing some traditional stuff! The hardest route to get a ride was probably from Antalya Province]]* [[:Category:Çanakkale (Province)|Çanakkale Province]]* [[Cappadocia]] * [[:Category:Muğla (Province)|Muğla Province]]* [[:Category:Southeastern Anatolia|Southeastern Anatolia]] to Kalkan. It was late and no one wanted to pick us up! In the end, two guys who worked in a restaurant picked us up and sent us to our friend's doorstep!''
== Personal Experiences ==
Some recent thoughts ''- Summer 2012 we spent hitch-hiking around Turkey. Me (male) and reflections about hitchhiking Turkey as my girlfriend have experienced a solo female: http:/lot of hospitality from Turkish drivers and hosts. Many times they stopped on the road and they offered us lunch/shelobifydinner.wordpressTurkish men never hardly spoke to my girlfriend (they fully respect fact that woman is in relationship with other man).com/2013/01/04/anOnce whilst hitch-hiking the bus pull-updateover. We explained that we don't have money for payment -it was any problem. Another fantastic thing abouthhiking in Turkey is you rarely have to wait more than 10 minutes, drivers pull-hitchhiking-solo-over their car on the highway and sometimes you just have to walk alongside the road and they will stop the car. Great experience, but I really recommend to go there as-a-female-in-turkey/mixed pair!''
:''My friend and I (both female) hitched through Turkey from the Greek border to Cappadocia and it was quite stressful. We never waited long for a ride and most of the people we rode with insisted on buying us chai (just tea) and meals. However, I would say that with about 90 percent of our rides we got our butts, boobs, or crotches grabbed, or at least asked for sex. We had to make our driver leave us on the side of the road a lot in the middle of nowhere so that was kinda dangerous. And it took us about 10 hours to make it 25 miles from just before Istanbul to just past the city. People kept trying to take us into the city or someplace we didn't want to go. We were so glad when we finally made it out of Turkey at the Bulgarian border. It was an adventure though and I would recommend traveling through Turkey, just be aware that all of the other women standing on the side of the road are prostitutes. It was all just a giant misunderstanding and a lack of respect, to some extent, on our part, for the local culture. When hitching here maybe you can learn how to say "we are just traveling and we aren't looking for sex may we still have a ride" before getting in a vehicle. For the record, our drivers always let us out when we told them too and nothing dramatic happened beyond the daily grabbings.''
:''I have just finished my second two-week trip alone through Turkey just hitchhiking, A female friend and my experience has not been at all like I hitchhiked from the aboveGeorgian border to Istanbul. I was quite shocked when I read it! I was traveling for long distances almost every day and I must have hitched with over fifty drivers – and only Turkey is one of those drivers touched me apart from the easiest countries in the world to shake my handhitch rides. Wait times, and I was asked for sex twice, relatively politelyeven in bad locations, and both accepted no as an answerrarely exceed ten minutes. I was treated The hitchhiking is so good that it pays to be picky about who you ride with courtesy: in Turkey you will have the privilege to turn down truck drivers in favor of faster vehicles. Although slower, respect, generosity, kindnessmost trucks will stop to offer rides. While hitchhiking at night, invites home we were allowed to meet their familiesnap in the sleeping berths that long-haul trucks have. Be polite, and yesrespectful, tea and oranges. Also people kept buying me bus tickets rather than 'letting' me hitchhike on, which was horribly embarrassing! I think people who picked me up probably did consider that I might be learn a prostitute, but easily accepted that I wasn't judging on behavior. I suspect that few words of Turkish and you will have great experiences like the above depend on inappropriate behaviour or dress(free food, or horribly bad luck. I don't speak Turkishimpromptu tour guides, so sometimes it was a bit boringbeds to sleep in, which was probably the worst thing about hitchhikingetc.). I would recommend not understanding the questions about whether However, you're alone or married- not speaking Turkish can actually help! And also should be aware that Turkish women hitchhiking sit in the back seat of carscautious if you are a solo female traveler, same as in taxiseven mild friendliness towards unrelated males will be misconstrued as flirtation.''
:''I hitch-hiked with a male friend for 3.5 weeks in Turkey. We started from Istanbul, to Safranbolu, Yozgat, Malatya, Nemrut Daig, Cappadocia, Kalkan and back to Istanbul. I was asked to have sex with the bus conductor after one of the bus conductor invited us to take us and he found out that my friend and I are just friends traveling together. Well, that's just a minor issue. We got picked up by an old man when we were hitch-hiking from Cappadocia to Nemrut Dagi. The old man had only 2 fingers on his right hand, and he was driving at the speed of 150 km/h, drinking tea and talking over the phone while my friend and I were sitting at the back! He drove us to a town nearby to do some sight-seeing and invited us to stay with his daughter's family! We ended up staying there for 3 nights. My fiend joined her husband to work while i stayed at home with the wife doing some traditional stuff! The hardest route to get a ride was probably from Antalya to Kalkan. It was late and no one wanted to pick us up! In the end, two guys who worked in a restaurant picked us up and sent us to our friend's doorstep!''
:''Summer 2012 we spent hitch-hiking around Hitchhiked along the Black Sea Coast from Georgia to Bulgaria. Turkeywas easy enough for me even for such a huge country. Me There was no issue sleeping on beaches or sleeping in fields on the outskirts of towns (male) and my girlfriend have experienced a lot I always asked for permission off of hospitality from Turkish drivers and hostssecurity guards etc. Many times they stopped on the road and they offered us lunch/dinnerwhich most private property had). Turkish men never hardly spoke The cities are really big though due to my girlfriend (they fully respect fact that woman the big populations, walking out of them can take ages, especially Istanbul which is in relationship with other man)very difficult to hitchhike out of. Once whilst hitch-hiking Turks are super proud too for the bus pull-over. We explained that we most part so don't offend them and also don't have money for payment - it was any problem. Another fantastic thing about hhiking in Turkey is you rarely have to wait more than 10 minutes, drivers pull-over their car urinate on the highway and sometimes you just have to walk alongside side of the road and they unless you are certain no-one will stop the car. Great experience, but I really recommend to go there as a mixed pair!see (its definitely not acceptable)''
{{Template:Europe/countries}}
[[wikipedia:Turkey]]
[[trash:Turkey]]
→Personal Experiences
}}
'''Turkey''' is an extremely hitchhiking-friendly country. Your waiting times will rarely exceed 15 minutes on reasonably used roads, even off the main roads. On smaller roads, the first vehicle passing you is likely to stop for you. Also you're very likely to be invited for tea and food, and often also to home stays. Very few people speak English, while German might be a little bit more useful, especially in the east. However, it's essential to learn at least a few words of basic [[Eastern Europe phrasebook#Turkish|Turkish]], also for your safety. Turkey has a very distinct reputation, especially considering girlswhen it comes to female hitchhikers, but once you get on terms with the dynamics of interacting with Turks (likely only after you make your first mistake, though) you'll usually be fine. See the Safety Chapter below. Opposing to popular belief, it's not very likely (but happens occasionally) to be asked for money. If you feel your status as a free hitchhiker is unclear, make sure to say ''para(m) yok'' before you get into the car. On the other hand side this might offend drivers who genuinely want to help you and do not expect money. Hitchhiking at night also works well as long as you stand in a somewhat visible spot.
== Safety ==
Turkey has been getting a bad reputation for female hitchhikers following the murder of [[Pippa]] in April 2008 and many discouraging stories, ranging from minor harassment (see Personal Experiences below) to near-miss murder/rape cases like the one [[User:Zenit|Zenit]] and the girl he was travelling with experienced in November 2011. While these things shouldn't deter anybody from travelling in Turkey, they certainly prove that there is a specific code of conduct different from any other country that needs to be respected in order to avoid unnecessary problems. It will take a little bit of travelling in the country first to get used to this different dynamic, so this will be the time to be extra cautious. Further reading for female hitchhikers – and anybody travelling in Turkey – is [http://youarealltourists.blogspot.com/2008/04/hitchhiking-guide-to-turkey-for-girls.html this blog]. Safety is always important while hitchhiking, so check the [[Hitchhiker's safety|Safety]] article before hitting the road!
* First of all, keep in mind that in Turkey there is widespread prejudice concerning the willingness of Western girls to engage in casual sex with random strangers.
* Having said that, the biggest part of problems arise from the different conceptions of flirting in the West and in Turkey. In Turkey, making eye conctact, smiling and accepting compliments can all easily be interpreted as outright flirtateous behaviour. Another thing to watch out for is that Turkish men will test guys males travelling with girls a female to see how protective they are of the girls they're travelling withtheir female companion. This will always be in a somewhat playful manner, and hardly ever in a threatening way. One very important thing is that a guy man travelling with a girl woman should never let her sit next to a man other than himself. This cannot be stressed enough, as drivers will read from this behaviour that a) the guy has no claims in on the girl and don't really care what happens to her from this point and b) that the girl might be interested/easy.
* Another important point, if one that goes somewhat without saying, is about clothing. Turkey is definitely not the place to hitchhike in hotpants and a tanktop, the least should be long trousers and a unrevealing t-shirt with sleeves down to your elbows. Anyone wearing less than this (apart from the Western coastal regions maybe) will usually be seen as a prostitute, and without the necessary language skills to explain women's rights over their own body you might get yourself into hassle you don't really need. If you want to be extra safe, you can also hitchhike with a headscarf and/or a long ("Iranian style") gown going down to your thighs and hiding your shape.
* There is different things you can say about your marital status. If travelling with a guy, the classical story of the married couple can work well enough, but won't necessarily stop a determined guy from trying his chances. Also keep in mind that many truck drivers (but generally not drivers of private cars) know that foreign hitchhikers tend to lie about their status as married couples. This might actually encourage some truck drivers to try his luck even if in the first point they never intended anything at all. If travelling alone as a girl, it seems to be safer to say that you are unmarried - meaning, for most people, a virgin. The purity of virginity is widely respected and can provide protection. You can usefully combine both of these strategies (if travelling in a couple) by saying that you're cousins because a) you will be seen as a unmarried virgin, b) male relatives traditionally protect unmarried female family members and c) a cousin might at some point also have been picked by the family to be a future husband to the girl.
As a guy travelling with a girl it is rare that you will be hit on with the notable exception of the far Eastern part of the country. However travelling alone as a guy you will/might be asked for sex depending not so much on your attractiveness in the Western sense as on how exotic you are (i.e. being big and blond will most likely increase the level of attention). Keep in mind that just even if a guy asks you to have sex with him it does not necessarily mean he's gay. Especially in Eastern Turkey it's very common among unmarried straight men to engage in casual sex among each other as an effect of an extremely conservative society and sometimes horrible ramifications for girls having pre-maritial sex. However other than the nuisance of being asked for sex you're unlikely to run into any problems.
Police and Terrorists
From 2019 I can account for a great and likely growing suspicion of anyone strange on the road, specifically in Eastern Turkey, where the police are sure there are terrorists everywhere. Knowing the Kurds having gone through this area and Iraqi Kurdistan before, I doubt more than a fraction of a percent of them, if any, are hostile, however times in turkey are edgy to say the least.
Do NOT let this stop you, but be advised you might be wayleighed a number of times if hitching through the mountainous regions, especially if you look kürdi, have military gear like mine, or for whatever other reason look suspicious.
Here are some serious-business police and military forces, and if you're stopped they might just scare the life out of you. But don't worry. If you aren't doing anything wrong, the worst you'll get is a proper shakedown and lots of questions.
I have sat next to some of the finest names in terrorism, as well as the finest police and military forces, and they all (they all) offer you tea and treat you well. Stay uninvolved, and never use a term like Kurdistan around the Turks.
Just be aware that the Turks are petrified of the PKK and other groups and might either suspect you OR (and more likely for you more civilian types) insist you take a bus or camp near their checkpoint, citing the dangers of terrorism in the region.
This should be considered a significant headache at times, leading to slowdowns, but no effective trouble in the long run and no reason at all to avoid these areas.
It's just a damn shame when people are pitted against each other and this is the reality in heavily Kurdish regions of Turkey.
Answer their questions, stand your ground about hitching and camping, don't fear the armoured cars and AKs ...and enjoy the tea.
== Climate ==
[[File:Erzurum.JPG|thumb|250px|In [[winter]] it can be cold.]]
During the summer temperatures tend to rise above 35 °C, especially in the South, so it is recommended to secure yourself with sufficient supplies of water, and to plan travelling in a way that most of the actual hitchhiking would be earlier in the morning or in very late afternoon, to avoid a burning sun.
In [[winter]], though, it can be quite cold in Turkey.
== Food Regions and Their Hitchability ==You will never have to worry about lack of [[food]] While in Turkey. Many truck drivers have coffee makers in their truck. Turkish people are very generous, and general it is seldom that you get a ride without fairly easy to attract a driver offering you food. The food lift in Turkey is relatively cheap, and is very meat-based. There is also a variety locals' view of a good local produce of tasty sweets and snackshitchhikers vary across the country. The tea (black tea or apple tea In general, people in Istanbul) is ''northern and inland regions of the'' national drinkcountry are friendlier towards hitchhikers. If put systematically, and almost all the people that you meet offer you level of ease to get a tea − this lift in various regions of the country is probably the most common way of showing you their hospitable culture.as follows in general, from easiest to hardest:
== Links ==
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/otostopRail/ Turkish hitchhikers FB group]
* [http://youarealltourists.blogspot.com/2008/04/hitchhiking-guide-to-turkey-for-girls.html Hitchhiking Guide to Turkey for girls]
* [http://abgefahren.hitchbase.com/DE/blogs/alex/20090213/just-hitching-rides-journey-eid-christmas Just hitching rides: A journey from Eid to Christmas] (Hitchhiking from Yemen to Germany), abgefahren Blogs
* User [[User:Halt, Stop! Reudnitz kommt.|Craig]] hitched along the Silk Road and wrote about his experiences here: [http://thumbingasia.blogspot.com/ Thumbing Asia From West to East] Turkey was big fun to hitch-hike. People are really hospitable everywhere - from Istanbul to Capaddocia, from Antep to Kurdistan!
== Nomadwiki & Trashwiki ==
{{nomadwiki}}
{{Cities Turkey}}
{{hitchbase_country|196}}
{{IsIn|Western Asia}}
[[Category:Turkey]]
