Last November, the State Department issued a travel warning for Istanbul due to increased terrorist attacks in the region. As a result of the warning, the Emergency Support Team for International Affairs cancelled Georgetown’s study abroad trip to the McGhee center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies in Alanya, Turkey.
During the semester-long program, students take classes at the Center in Alanya, a remote town on the southern coast of Turkey. However, participants also take several trips, including a spring break excursions to Syria, and a two-week orientation in Ankara and Istanbul.
While the State Department and Emergency Support Team deem the threat of terrorist attack high enough to advise against unnecessary travel, the situation in Alanya is uniquely different from that of Istanbul. In contrast to Istanbul, Alanya is largely a resort town filled with European tourists for much fo the year. According to alumni and alumnae of the Spring 2001 program in a letter to the University Provost, Alanya is a currently a safer place for students to study than Washington, D.C.
“Turks were more than gracious hosts to the Georgetown community abroad, and we can assure you that future program participants will enjoy the same good will and hospitality … While we understand that the perceived risk in Turkey right now is high, we would like to stress the distinction between threat levels in Istanbul and threat levels elsewhere in Turkey,” they wrote.
Instead of allowing warnings for Istanbul to discourage students from participating in a program primarily centered in Alanya, the University should continue to sponsor the program with the possibility of adaptions to the semester’s itinerary, as they are necessary. As the 2001 Alanya alumni and alumnae advocate, the Istanbul portion of the trip could be delayed until the end of the semester, at which point officials could reassess safety concerns for this particular portion of the trip. In this case, even if Istanbul is cancelled, students would still benefit from almost a full semester’s experience in Turkey.
While the University must protect the safety of its students, it is unfortunate that students are unable to benefit from the Alanya opportunity this year. The increase in global violence as evidenced by recent events in Istanbul demonstrate that the need for cultural exchange is greater now than ever. Students and administration should both work to insure the continued success of the Alanya program in the future.
