How safe is Turkey and Greece

I can't say about Greece. But I've went to Turkey twice in 2010 and travelled down from Istanbul along the coast to Bodrum. There's no trouble there, it's very safe. The area that's dodgy is along the border with Syria. Don't go there.
It's a big country and as long as you stay away from that part, you should be fine.

We were in Greece for 4 weeks in Sept/Oct, spending time on some islands, driving the Peloponnese and Delfi, and visiting Athens. The helpful and friendly people, scenery, history, and food made it one of the best trips we have had. We had no problems in at all in Greece. We actually left Athens the day Angela Merkle arrived for the austerity talks and were there for the previous day demonstrations. Although we saw some activity as people prepared, we had no problems. We were in Turkey the previous Sept/Oct and also had no problems there. Of course, we were not near the Syrian border but we did visit Cappadocia (central Turkey),some of the Turquoise Coast, Ephesus, and Istanbul. There also we met friendly, helpful people and enjoyed beautiful scenery, history, and good food. For each of these countries tourism is a big part of their income. They are proud of their country and appreciate visitors. Prices are reasonable in both countries as well. We are also thinking of visiting both these countries in the fall, making a trip to Rhodes and Kos islands and then going to Turkey. We believe these are safe areas don't expect any problems.

Turkey and Greece are fine independently but I'm not certain anyone should try and do them together. Here, see what i mean: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Video-review-When-turkey-frying-goes-wrong-4053970.php#item-12959

John... I took my 12 year old grandson to both locations a year ago and even though I have traveled a lot had a bit of apprehension as there were supposed to be demonstrations, etc. in Athens. Just decided to go and walk fast in the other direction if I suspected any problems. It was all perfect, and although one day we were there happened to be a day of major demonstrations, they were so confined to a small area and the roads were blocked. Just a bunch of people holding signs. As far as Turkey, it is one of the friendliest countries I have ever visited and we felt completely safe. There are definitely the street salesmen who might bother some people, but we just carried on and said politely no we did not need rugs or whatever and that was the end of it. We rather enjoyed that part of it and my grandson had fun 'bargaining' for his chess set at the Grand Bazaar. As others have noted... just stay away from the Syrian border.

was in the region about 2 years ago when the greek economy first imploded. airline tickets were cheaper and we saw no safety problem. however, you should always be careful, i.e. in athens stay in the tourist area (islands are ok). turkey also has its own political problem, and there was a bombing in istanbul about 2 weeks after i left on my last trip. it's as safe as anywhere else you go - there is always a chance you run into trouble even in the US.

John, I was in Greece in 2010 when numerous demonstrations were taking place, including one where several people were killed when a building was set on fire. I observed no problems at all and had a wonderful trip! The weather was great, the people were friendly and the food was wonderful (although I wish they wouldn't serve Chicken Souvlaki with French Fries!!!). Demonstrations tend to be somewhat "localized" (ie: in the vicinity of Syntagma Square in Athens). If you encounter a demonstration, simply move to another area. Just to clarify, are you planning to take a guided tour, similar to those offered by Rick Steves? If that's the case, the Guides will ensure that everything is "safe". There are never any guarantees, whether travelling in western Europe or Greece and Turkey. I doubt that you will have any problems. Happy travels!

John, I was recently in Istanbul on a business trip and in Greece in May 2011 on a holiday (with my family). We never had any safety concerns at any of these places. Greece is breathtakingly beautiful - specially the islands. I must insist that you visit the islands - not to be missed if you are in Greece.

Lived in Crete for 2 years, easily the safest place I have ever been anywhere in the world. I didn't even lock my car most of the time.