The Turkish Stance on Transit Photography & Bag Searches

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Reposting from Subchat: http://www.subchat.com/read.asp?Id=819337

For Those of You Who are Pro-Photographers Rights/Anti-Bag Searches...

...don't come to Istanbul.

Signs on all the tram platforms indicate that photography and video recording is not permitted. I assume those regulations extend to the Metro, Tunel, and funiculars.

Said signs also say that the police have the right to inspect people's bags and also do body searches in the interest of security. At Metro stations, I've seen guards with handheld magnetometers by the entrances, but I have yet to see anyone get screened. The tram stations have very high police and transit staffing too.

That all being said, I've gotten tram photos from outside the sysetm boundaries, not sure about the legality of that. Not sure if I'll try getting Metro shots and stuff like that, I'd like to make it through my vacation without being arrested, especially since I don't speak a word of Turkish.

An update since I initially wrote that, I did manage to get a few photos on the subway lines, generally "shooting from the hip" so I wouldn't be seen.  Photographing the historic trolley isn't taboo since it is a tourist attraction, and I had no problems on the Tunel (a funicular which is sometimes cited as being the smallest subway in the world, but I don't agree with that statement).  I also had no problems photographing in the mainline railway station on the European side of the city (I never went to the Asian mainline station).

I also saw someone get called over for a bag search this afternoon, but that was the only person I saw get called over on my various rides during the 5 days I was in Istanbul.

Photos to come once I get them up to my site, I have a busy next few weeks so it may take some time before the photos are posted.