Despite exaggerated reports of football-related violence, you're unlikely to encounter any trouble in Turkey, save for passport-related crime. Violent street crime is uncommon, theft is rare and the authorities usually treat tourists with courtesy. Keep your wits about you and an eye on your belongings and you shouldn't have any problems. The police come in a variety of subdivisions; all wear dark blue uniforms with baseball caps, and have their division - trafik , narkotik , etc - clearly marked. Confusingly, the Belediye Zabitas , a sort of trading standards police, also wear dark blue, while in rural areas, you'll find the camouflage-clad Jandarma , a division of the regular army.

For minor health complaints head for the nearest eczane (pharmacy), where you'll be able to obtain cheap remedies for ailments like diarrhoea, sunburn and flu, though you may find it difficult to find exact equivalents to any home prescriptions. Night-duty pharmacists are known as nöbet(ci) ; a list of the current rota is posted in every pharmacy's front window. For more serious ailments , your consulate or the tourist office may be able to provide you with the address of an English-speaking doctor. Otherwise it's best to go direct to a hospital (klinik) - either public (Devlet Hastane or SSK Hastanesi) , or private (Özel Hastane) . Private hospitals are far preferable in terms of cleanliness and standard of care, and since all foreigners must pay for medical attention, you might as well get the best available.