For a country like Turkey with a population of 73 million both theft and crime rates are astonishingly low. For example Turkey has 1 % of the violent theft and robbery.
Some tourists think Turkey is an Islamic country like Iran, Saudi Arabia or Algeria and thieves’ hands are amputated or rapist are hanged. Untrue.
Turkish Laws were adopted from European countries after the establishment of Turkish Republic in 1923.
The Penal Code was adopted from Italy; so The Turkish penal code is much the same as European countries.
There is a strong public reaction against thieves, murderers and rapists (especially child abusers) in Turkey. When a thief spends a few years in prison and is released, most of his relatives and neighbours will know and will not talk to him. Child rapists are often killed in prison by their cellmates.
Drug dealers are disliked by the public and even in prison. Prisoners think these people are poisoning their children outside and hard days wait for drug dealers in prison and outside when they are released.
Even though the theft rate is low, beware of your valuables in crowded places and especially in Istanbul, Sultanahmet District which is the most visited place in Turkey.
Crime rate in Turkey,