The governor of İstanbul, Vasip Şahin, said on Wednesday that Turkey’s largest city is very safe except for the threat of terror.
Speaking to the state-run Anadolu news agency, the governor said in comparison to other metropolises, İstanbul, a city of 15 million people, is very safe.
“In terms of urban safety, İstanbul is one of the safest except for the Middle Eastern terror threat,” the governor claimed. He added that the security forces have been successful in foiling threats to people’s safety.
İstanbul has increasingly been struck by attacks carried out by several terrorist organizations. A number of foreign countries have issued warnings for citizens planning to travel to Turkey following the terrorist attacks.
The most recent attack took place on New Year’s Day at the Reina nightclub, perpetrated by an Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist who killed 39 people.