Is Trabzon safe? A guide for families, visitors and buyers

Before booking a summer or buying a home, it is natural to ask whether Trabzon is safe. We answer as an agency that works in the city and welcomes families every year: everyday safety, natural risks, roads, healthcare and the safety of the purchase itself.

Everyday safety

Trabzon is a conservative, family-oriented city, and its residents have welcomed Gulf families every summer for years. Most visitors feel safe in the markets, on the seafront and in the parks, day and night, and in summer many restaurants and shops have Arabic-speaking staff.

Still, take the care you would in any city: watch your phone and wallet in crowds, use official taxis or well-known apps, and agree on the price before any tourist service.

Earthquakes: what it means for buyers

Trabzon is less exposed to earthquakes than Istanbul and many other parts of Turkey, but no area is risk-free. What actually protects your family is the building:

• Choose a building permitted under the 2018 Turkish earthquake regulation or later, built under the supervision of a building-inspection company.
• Ask for the occupancy permit (iskan) and the building permit, and check the permit year.
• DASK earthquake insurance is compulsory, and the title deed cannot be transferred without it.

Heavy rain and landslides

Rain falls in every season on the Black Sea coast; it is what keeps Trabzon green. Heavy rain can, however, cause floods and landslides in some valleys and on some slopes. When choosing a home:

• Avoid buildings right next to stream beds and narrow valleys.
• Be wary of buildings on steep slopes without visible retaining walls.
• Ask for the soil survey (zemin etüdü) on new projects.

Mountain roads and driving

Roads in the city and along the coast are good. Roads up to the highlands and Uzungöl wind and can be foggy. Drive slowly, avoid mountain driving at night if you are not used to it, and use winter tyres in winter.

Healthcare and emergencies

Trabzon has public and private hospitals and a large university hospital. Turkey's single emergency number is 112 for ambulance, police and fire.

Safety of the purchase itself

The biggest risk for a foreign buyer is not on the street but in the paperwork: a fake listing, an unlicensed agent, or a payment before the title deed is checked. Simple rules protect you:

• Work with a licensed real estate agency and ask for its licence number.
• Do not pay before the title deed, liens and occupancy permit are checked.
• A valuation report is compulsory in every sale to a foreigner, and the price on the deed cannot be below its value.

Read our step-by-step guide to buying property in Turkey as a foreigner, browse apartments for sale in Trabzon, or contact us to have us guide you through viewings and checks.