Talkinman

We take over our new apartment in January and have been advised in writing by Parador to change all our locks at the first possible date.
This is not somthing I expected and find it a bit sad.
I thought crime in Turkey was minimal but reading through the forum I am becoming paranoid.
I have posted this on another thread and had no reaction so I have presumed that I must have used a seldom viewed thread, (If I am out of order doing this I am sorry)
How bad is the crime rate in Turkey in general and in the Bodrum area (Gulluk) in particular?

Terry&Sue

There are an awful lot of members on here owning properties and security is an important issue as with places we own in the UK.
Burglaries do happen to some members and there was a spate of them recently but equally plenty of people have never been burgled.Naturally those who have will post it on here for support hence you hear about specific events and they are in your face so to speak.
Take on board the information,good or bad,that you read on here and just act on the advice given without becoming paranoid and continually worrying you are next because you could do that at home. Many of us are happy with their experiences and love our homes in the beautiful country that is Turkey.
There are statistics for everything.One in four dies of cancer but it doesnt mean you have to worry through life about being the fourth in a group.
Enjoy your life there and stop worrying about something that may never ever happen.
Life is too short isnt it!

Mr Turkey

Hi Guys,

As Terry says, it is easy to become paranoid, and actually reported crime is considerably lower in Turkey than in the U.K. Regretably, like any empty property anywhere, it can be the target for envious eyes and can make an attractive prospect to a thief. It is true that there has been a spate of burglaries in the Bodrum area, but in fairness, the Jandarma have been busy trying to counter the problem and arrests have been made. The area gets an influx of seasonal workers from poorer areas, who sometimes top off there pay packets with a bit of burglary before heading back to where ever.

I would have an issue with Parador. You haven't yet taken over the apartment yet all locks need to be changed. Surely the locks should be correct for the purpose when you buy it ? I would say that this is down to them . Also if it needs changed in january, then surely it needs changed now !

It is a good idea to ensure that all locks fitted conform to the insurance standard that you have. You dont want to be left without cover and find this out after you have had a break in ! usually a five lever type dead lock is required on the entry / exit door, but check with your insurer.

As you are local, I have sent you a PM that might be of interest.


MR TURKEY.

Harem

Soon after we moved into our apartment one on the ground floor of our block was broken into. We changed the lock on our front door and advised the burgled people to do the same. They refused to do this, but, when you take possession of your set(s) of keys, you don't know who, if anybody, still has one in his/her possession. A lot of the building workers are itinerant workers and they too maybe looking to top up their wages before going on to pastures new. It is sensible to change the locks. Most of our friends have done the same.

pldouglas

Treat security in your Turkish home as you would your English home. Sad advice I know, but its best for your peace of mind to feel secure. You are actually more at risk from being burgled in Turkey when you are actually in residence - because they assume that is when you have expensive items with you, mobiles/cash/jerelry etc. We have installed a well hidden safe for our valuables while we are staying in the country - especially the passports.

kaplumba

The cost of changing locks is very little. We didn't bother to begin with but within a month of furnishing our property an estate agent had been in while we were staying there but without our knowledge. Photographs of the inside of our house then appeared on a website. We were furious and never really got to the bottom of it. Needless to say we changed the locks.

KayaKoyuOldBoy

Unlike the UK, it's a very cheap and simple thing to change locks over here. In most cases it's just a case of swapping the barrels around. You can either go to the expense of changing all the barrels or, the other alternative is to swap barrels from upstairs doors to those downstairs. Even better, is to swap lock barrels with those of a friend or neighbour.

no-nem

A new lock barrel will cost you circa 7ytl and is common to change, as so many keys could be in circulation. these barrels take about 5 mins to change and may save you a shed load of heart ache.

Martyn

I changed mine as you have no idea how many copies there are of yours. Most locks come with 5 keys or 3 keys soif you haven't got those in your possession someone else has! It's a five minute job and well worth the peace of mind.