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I´m the guy who wrote the text (quoted from my website, TurkeyTravelPlanner.com, back in 2005) that kicked off this discussion:
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/details/WomenTravelers/index.html
The text was written on the basis of 42+ years´ personal experience in Turkey, from conversations with foreign women in Turkey, and from reports from readers of my Frommer´s and Lonely Planet guidebooks. It was written to bridge cross-cultural differences, and to help women to enjoy their time in Turkey.
This forum discussion has been fascinating, and has covered a lot of ground. I re-read my text, and I stand by it: it is highly positive about the experiences of foreign women traveling in Turkey, yet it provides useful guidance for how to avoid misunderstanding and unpleasantness.
Turkey today is far, far different from the rather isolated country I first visited in 1967, a time when it was very difficult for Turks to travel outside of Turkey. Many Turks whom foreign visitors may meet have now studied, lived and/or worked in other countries, speak other languages, and are used to other cultures. This reduces the chance for cross-cultural misunderstanding.
But Turkey is a big country of 72 million people. Out of tourism areas (as several form participants have indicated), the possibility of misunderstanding may be more common, so it´s good to be prepared with knowledge of local and traditional culture.
From my long career of writing about Turkey, I´ve found that first-time foreign visitors comment most on three topics:
1. The friendliness of the Turkish people—this is always No. 1!
2. The beauty and interest of the country: "I had no idea..."
3. The delicious food. (I told them that!)
Tom Brosnahan
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