23.59 Hours At A Deserted Train Station, Anywhere

Perceptions matter. And in what light a nation is perceived by another country is often the result of how politicians present it to their audience, i.e., the electorate. In this regard I am surprised and worried about recent comments attributed to a number of supposedly friendly governments that all but in name have declared Turkey a No-Go Zone.

You will have read the headlines (“Turkey travel warning,” says government A or B), yet I am not a supporter of pointing fingers in one direction only when as a matter of fact many actors would need mentioning, similar to a good teacher discussing a substandard performance directly with a student instead of posting exam results on the classroom noticeboard. Hence, this article is meant as a generalization.
Seldom does an event no matter how deplorable and/or sad in nature merit a blanket travel warning. Consider a fatal plane crash due to reported airport safety; think a volcano erupts or picture a landslide that washes away property; imagine serious flooding leading to houses being evacuated. A country would need to be extremely limited in size should such a blanket travel warning become necessary!
Thus said, a Foreign Office website would perhaps suggest that for the time being it is not advisable to visit a particular region or city. If at all -- most events of the nature I mentioned here would make media headlines, but would not lead to an update on a government website.
We would feel sympathy with the peoples of that region but would not declare their country a no-go zone.
Then there are issues that require a more detailed analysis. The world is currently faced with one such topic -- Ebola. In this context, it seems appropriate that both the World Health Organization and our home governments in unison decide whether or not it is safe for international travelers to visit for personal or business reasons alike.
Even in such a scenario both politicians and we as media representatives must carefully weigh the linguistic options. Shall we declare “Africa no longer safe to go to” or would we better write “A number of African countries affected by Ebola -- should you postpone your holidays or business trip?”
Common sense, really.
On to Turkey: Over the past month or so, however, the wording of those normally much-appreciated Foreign Office travel updates has dramatically changed. No longer do we hear about a limited area in Turkey's Southeast that needs a traveler's added carefulness, but what made me very worried was one such new “advice” in particular.
It was now argued that foreign visitors should no longer use city center public transport anywhere in Turkey; this was then extended to local public transport as well as overland travel (trains, coaches).
Can you imagine the negative impact such wording has on that country's population and can you further imagine how long it will take before that negative image has been replaced by a more friendly view?
If you are an ordinary citizen intent on booking a winter holiday in Erzurum or a businessman ready to invest in Kütahya or a student proud to enroll at a university in Ankara as part of an EU-sponsored exchange program -- who would not sympathize with going elsewhere, actually to another country altogether?
The last time I had to use an underpass at my deserted train station back home, it was almost midnight. Graffiti, overflowing rubbish containers and, yes indeed, not enough lighting. You simply expect someone of the “less polite” character lurking behind the next corner asking you for money, at best. Advisable for single travelers with a laptop -- of course not! Inner cities anywhere late at night are more dangerous to travel in than during rush-hour. Once more, common sense tells us how to avoid such places if at all possible. Two options, once more: Issue a blanket “public transport in country C is unsafe for foreign visitors” travel warning or announce “Stay safe as you would anywhere else, enjoy your trip.”
A terrorist is no handbag snatcher, granted. Yet not every underground train, every overland coach from Ankara to İstanbul is packed with terrorists, either. Unless that is exactly the perception someone wants to create deliberately.

KLAUS JURGENS (Cihan/Today's Zaman)