I am surprised so many people have had bad experiences. Apart from the one man putting his hand on my bum I have never had a problem with anyone, nor did I have any problems in Tunisia or Egypt.

If they try in on with me next week swear or touch me i will flip, i think my hand just may connect with his face.

Nobody has the right to make a person feel uncomfortable in that way,to be honest im really not looking forward to my holiday anymore,these people are giving turkey a really bad look...i so do hope i can give a better report and come bad with a positive write up of turkey on 3rd october.

It make me feel sick of going there and being man handled.
Iv told my husband to watch my every move and dont leave my side this has freaked me out.

Hi

I took my family to Turkey for the first time in July (Icmeler) and we stayed in the old village. We did go to the main town everyday though as my daughter and wife love shopping. I have to say that we went in to an awful lot of shops and never once were made to feel uncomfortable. Sure we got the normal hassle but a firm no seemed to work. In fact we had a chat to many of the shop owners and did not buy in every shop but even these were not abusive. If we had run across any of the mentioned abuse I would have given back as good as I got as would my wife but we found the shop keepers to be fine and some even helpful.

Hi All
Been following this with interest, Ive got to say both of us have never had, or witnessed the kind of abuse that is being mentioned, I am not saying it doesnt go on !
All be it, I can only speak for Icmeler the hassle we have had has been of the freindly banter, both ways, and if nessasery a firm no has been sufficiant.
But no where has anyone mentioned going to the police or council about it.
If anyone has I would welcome their input on this becouse the officials I have talked to over the years have insisted that they, will act on any complaints. and be very strict in their dealings with them and on most occasions your word would be sufficiant on its own, and my thoughts are a raised voice either yours or the shop keeper will attract witnesses.
Regards
Peli

emmah1404 wrote:

Tunisia that happened to us:

A guy tried selling a £1.00 bracelet to me but i didn't want it, i told him this but he put it on my wrist then said i had to pay for it. I went and got my Mum as i was only 16 at the time and she said no. He then starting swearing at us. We were mother *****s, and other offensive language. It has defo put me off going back! He was chasing us down the road and it was so scary.

Turkey they are pushy, but if you give a firm no they leave you alone.

I found they were particularly difficult (nice word for it) with people of your age. My DD is 15 and they kept putting things on her wrist that we didn't want. I stuck to her like glue there was no way I would let her have any freedom near the turkish male sellers of an evening. Well out of order really taking advantage of vunerability and never taking no for an answer. You need to watch them like hawks. Double standards as well, I am sure if we used that kind of language infront of their wives and children they would not like it, but they think it is fine to use expleatives because we are from the UK, particularly when we dont purchase from them, which I guess is proof that they are only really after our money and not the nice friendly turks we are always told to expect. We limit our shopping trips because of this which is a shame really.

Goodness knows where they have got the expression mother f****** from, they must have been watching American TV and films, its not a common UK expleative, its an Americanism but they seem to have taken it to heart and adopted it for their own use.

Just my experience of it of course.

Hi Deepsmc
Is it possable you have misunderstood Emmah 1404
The way I read it, it was in Tunisia where their "inccident" occured.
I think!!, Emmah was sticking up for the Turks, by saying a firm, "no", is enough.
Unless--- I am reading it the wrong way !!
Although this isnt taking anything away from your own experiences.
Regards
Peli

which I guess is proof that they are only really after our money and not the nice friendly turks we are always told to expect. We limit our shopping trips because of this which is a shame really.

doepsmc...sorry but I have to disagree with you on this one...I dont think it is fair to stereotype all the turks in this country..there are friendly people out there..true there are some crooked people out there..and hopefully you wont run into any..but that goes true for all nationalities...you get the good with the bad...

I read this the other day from another travel forum...

"be friendly and polite in your dealings with people and they will be friendly and polite in return! - how very true.

and all I will say is that you are visiting the wrong resorts...The ones that seemed to have the most problems are usually located on the Aegean side of Turkey..Marmaris and many places similar to that resort....however if you keep booking package tour holidays ( flights and hotels included )..these are the types of places you are possibly going to run into..and if you do you should report it to the Zabıta police.

that why I love to shop in a proper shopping mall..with all the prices fixed and tagged...also I pay the same price as everyone else..can park my car...have a bite to eat at the food court..etc..
nuf said..

Dont want to go "racialist here"
But the majoriety of these buisnesses front men are not the owners and probably not Turkish
They are mainly Kurdish lads working 1000+ mls away from home ,and whos only concern is to earn as much commision as they can by whatever means,to the detriment of the buisness and the true owner, also a lot of them will tell you its their buisness, in fact they will tell you anything even the
"moon- green cheese" story if need be, and in their language!!
This is the problem, they are desperate to earn money,by whatever means!!
and due to the lack of tourist/customers they are resorting to more desparate means.
Over the years Ive noticed it more and more,
It is definatly coinciding with the fall in tourist/customers.
and of desparation setting in.
Peli

Its a shame really, because as much as i love marmaris, the shop keepers etc really do put me off from even walking past the shops, let alone going in, I have to keep a watchfull eye on my 17 yr old, shes autistic and all the shop guys etc make a bee-line for her because she walks around with a lovely friendly smile for everyone, she will try to go into every shop where she is called to go into.. last year she had wondered into a shop next to the one i was being served in, i rushed out to see where she was, low and behold this guy was trying to put this dress into a bag for her to buy, not only was it a size 8...(shes a 16) it cost 55ytl and she didnt have a penny on her!

Bless her little heart!

Peli,

I find you previous post very offensive and very racist.

Kurdish people have lived in turkey for thousands of years, these lads you are talking about are all Turkish citizens, they were born in Turkey and serve their country in the army and they work very hard.

My husband is Kurdish and we have many Kurdish friends and they are all lovely, hard working, family loving people. They are not "desperate to earn money,by whatever means!!", in fact my husband's family own lots of land and run a thriving farm, they are by no means desperate for money.

All the lads who work in resorts, Turkish, Kurdish or whatever, send money home to their families because that is how people live there, they look after their families and is expected of them.

And yes, the Kurdish people do have their own language but they all also speak Turkish but why shouldn't they use their own language.

I hope the moderators remove your post as I'm sure offensive and racist comments like that are not allowed on here.

caretta wrote:

be friendly and polite in your dealings with people and they will be friendly and polite in return! - how very true.

We are always polite, I don't like your implication that we are not. It didn't make any difference. Other people are reporting the same are you saying we are lying ? They certainly didnt get the expresion mother **** from me I have never said it in my life and dont intend to start now. Perhaps it is as Peli says but I ahve no knowledge of this.

I am a tourist that is why I go to a tourist resort like Olu Deniz, I want the facilities that go with being a tourist, nice hotels, nice bars and restaurants, decent shops and the sea-side etc I dont go on holday to do a weeks grocery shop, top-up my phone or get my cleaning done.

Sorry to see what happened to your DD michelle how low can they go, talk about take advantage.

Yeah but they probably wouldnt have even realised,as she only has it mild, she just comes across as an extremely friendly girl... hence me having to watch her like a hawk the guys face was a picture though when i just walked in and lead her back out of the shop... the man was shouting.."hey lady...your dress" she turned back to him smiled sweetly and walked away

doepsmc ...my comments...'' be friendly and polite in your dealings with people and they will be friendly and polite in return! - how very true '' ...were not directed to YOU or anyone in particular..it was just a generalization....and I never implied that you were not polite...

mitchellclr ...that is a very sad story...sorry to hear about your daughter...hope that never happens again..

Kedi
Why should the moderators remove my post !!, the idea of a forum is to put differant points of view accross.and my point of view is what I see and as I hear it
You are not the "only one" who is involved with the Kurdish people.
Although not married to one.our next door neghbours are of Kurdish origin,
and we are indeed very friendly with them and indeed other members of their extended family.
And indeed to whom I have the utmost of respect !!

Although im obviusly not as informed as you are in the turkish way,I feel I know enough about it to have some form of input on this forum and I certainly dont need a history lesson,
My wife and I are quite aware of what is going on in Turkey
I am not taking a personal swipe at you or your family, or indeed the majority of honest Kurdish and Turkish people
But the people Im talking of do exist, Ive actualy talked to and been told on numourous occasions
by the lads who actually do this, and yes the majority of them are Kudish
I am speaking as I see it in the resorts,This is not,"racialism" it is a true fact.

I feel that you are going a bit overboard in regard to my comment and taking it far too personal

I am truly sorry if I have offended you and your family,
but the numourous posts about this problem endorse the fact it is hapening more and more
And I stand by what I say the majority of the front line hassle involves Kurdish lads.
Athough I have to say I can only speak about my home town of Icmeler
Regards
Peli

I have to agree with Kedi here Peli,

Your post, the way you have written, implies that only Kurdish men work thousands of miles from home, want money to send home, only want to swindle the real owners.
"They are mainly Kurdish lads working 1000+ mls away from home ,and whos only concern is to earn as much commision as they can by whatever means,to the detriment of the buisness and the true owner, also a lot of them will tell you its their buisness, in fact they will tell you anything even the "moon- green cheese" story if need be, and in their language!!"
Turkish resort workers (non-Kurdish descent) do all those things too.

I've never been to Icmeler, so can't say one way or another whether your observations are accurate. What I can say, is that in the Bodrum area, its as likely to be what you class as a "Turk", as a "Kurd" on the door, giving tourists the "moon-green cheese" story.

Kurdish people in Turkey are Turkish citizens, so they are Turkish.

Elaine

Can I remind everyone to check out the Terms and Conditions of the site. I don't want to have to lock or remove any threads bu I think this one is just about coming to its conclusion now, so lets end it here.

Sarah

Cherylking

I felt as you did before I went away to Olu for the first time last year. As a single parent travelling with my 7 year old son, I had fears of being made to feel extremely uncomfortable, that I would have an awful holiday. But although I had one experience which made me feel a little uncomfortable, other than that I have always found that I have always been treated and approached respectfully. The Turkish are some of the friendliest people I have met, in all of the places we have travelled to, they are by far the nicest. I know that there are some resorts where the level of "hassle" is greater, and in the markets I found this also, but I have always found that a "No thank you" has always worked.

Turkey is a wonderful place

Thank you Karen that is comforting ,as i said i am going this thursday i am going to keep an open mind,but at least now i am aware of what could be and will be able to deal with a problem,rather that be caught unaware.
It was not my intention to cause uproar in the forum but to open eyes as to a problem that does exist for some.My intention was not to blame anyone.
And if people are aware they will be far more likely to be able to deal with a situation.
Many countrys have problems in one way or another the UK being no exception.
But these problems do exist ,and no way should it slur the country or its people of the many that are genuine nice friendly people.
I am going to Turkey as a tourist and i respect other peoples culture,but expect respect in return.
Hope i come home with the same thought.

Keep it friendly folks......Cheryl..xx

Hi Cheryl
I think it is fine to report what has happened on here, like I did with DD, it really is a case of forewarned is forearmed, I had a lovely holiday in Turkey and although am not a Turkey fanatic as the world is a big place, we will no doubt be back in the not too distant future. The Turquoise Coast is a truely beautiful area and the climate is wonderful. All the hotel staff I have ever had dealings with have been great, its just shop staff I have had problems with. Turkey seems to be a changing place, but then so are many others. Both of my holidays there have been very enjoyable with far more pluses than minuses, your experience just tells people what they can sometimes expect.

Doe