Food safety?

I have never followed any rules about eating in Turkey, and fresh fruit and salads are among two of my favorite things to eat in Turkey. Breakfast in Turkey without tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and yogurt is almost unimaginable; salads are phenomenal; and one of my fondest memories was eating fresh figs at the (overpriced) cafeteria overlooking the Bosporus outside the Topkapi Palace.

Admittedly, I am on the liberal/adventurous side of sampling food while traveling.

(The small hotel in old town Antalya where I stayed last May recommended that we drink bottled water because of the flavor, not because of the safety. I brushed my teeth with tap water and didn't have any issues. Still, it's probably a good idea to stick to bottled water. There may be other areas where the water is less safe.)

Enjoy your trip! Istanbul is one of my favorite cities.

Hi Kate. That may be a good starting point. Anything that comes into direct contact with tap water probably should be avoided. This is the approach that I took during the RS tour of Turkey. There may be some places that the tour guide may indicate that everything is safe to consume due to the nature of that business. Additionally, I avoided brushing my teeth and rinsing my toothbrush with tap water (just in case).

I am firmly in the "boil it, peel it, or forget it" camp when traveling in developing countries. And my GI tract has taught me to be strict about what I call "street food discipline." That said, I decided that for Turkey, I was only going to apply my usual regimen to water, not for all fruits, veggies, and other items that I would otherwise eschew (not chew!).

I ate plenty of veggies, salads, and other stuff that I would skip entirely in many countries. No tummy issues for me. I might adjust that approach if I was going to the far eastern edge of the country or way, way off the tourist trail, but most of the places that international tourists go are, I think, reasonably safe. From Istanbul all the way south and east, down the coast and around to Antalya, and Cappadocia, I enjoyed all the unboiled, unpeeled, and unforgotten items that appeared in front of me, and lived to tell about it. No disturbances at all.

I did, however, maintain strict water/ice/drink/tooth-brushing/showering discipline.

I ate raw vegetables at the nicer hotels and restaurants that we stayed at and never had an issue. The cucumber tomato, cheese and yogurt breakfast is a must. Only thing I did differently than home was to brush my teeth and only drink from bottled water.

I just returned from a month-long trip to Turkey yesterday. ( Fantastic country to visit as the Turks are remarkable hosts)
A friend living in Turkey said it’s only the public water systems that are questionable throughout the country and even most Turks themselves do not drink tap water. He only drinks bottled water when on the move and has a filtration system in his house.

Fruits and vegetables are not a problem according to Turks I spoke with and we personally ate raw fruits and vegetables without any gastrointestinal issues or illnesses.

I concur with David’s regimen. We did not get sick and my husband aka the delicate flower usually gets everything. Some people on our tour did have tummy issues but I can’t say what caused that. Edited to add that we always carry Cipro for that very reason and only use it if we are sick not as a preventative.

The secret is to disinfect the food. You can do this by following each bite with sufficient quantities of alcohol. I've never been sick in Istanbul..... that I can remember.

Some of the Rick Steves tour hotels, including the more modern ones, had signs posted in the bathrooms saying (In English) "By order of the health department" with a pictogram indicating do not drink the water.

I used bottled water to brush my teeth. It is very cheap in Istanbul....I got 6 half liter bottles at a shop for barely over a dollar. It's more expensive at tourist stands.

I ate all the raw fruits, vegetables and salads in all our tour hotels and at meals with the tour and on our own.

I carried over the counter medication in my day purse and took it 2 or 3 times, early on, when my stomach felt uneasy. I never needed the prescription meds I'd brought.

My roommate followed the same regimen and got quite sick one day and had to take her prescription medication, which resolved the problem quickly. She was very cautious about what she ate for the next 2 days. After that, she ate everything again..

I am going on this tour in October and plan to bring over-the-counter meds and take them in advance. My friend who took the tour in 2019 said almost everyone in her group confessed to having diarrhea at some point, so while I hope for the best am planning for this outcome. I do plan to eat the breakfast foods.
Cynthia

What is the medication that you carry for GI issues?

Imodium is the brand name, loperamide hydrochloride tablets is the generic version, plus a bottle of Pepto-Bismal.

I was in Turkey for 2 1/2 weeks and ate just about everything, including raw fruits and vegetables (in fact, most Turkey breakfasts will almost always have fresh veggies included). Never got sick once. Maybe it's changed since I've been there, but I would still do the same thing. I love Turkish food!

Thanks, everyone for the great advice. I'm so looking forward to our visit to Istanbul, AND to eating everything but avoiding the water.
Kate

My MD recommended that we take Pepto - Bismal chewables along and take them several times a day when traveling to non-Western countries. It worked.

We both took Imodium a couple of times during our September Best of Turkey tour. Mostly because of very soft stools and knowing bus had no toilet.

Pepto Bismol is seemingly not available in Europe, so if you want to use that, take plenty with you.