ISTANBHOYS welcome Celtic fans for Fenerbahce match

The ISTANBHOYS are rolling out the red carpet for Celtic fans travelling to Istanbul next week.

Despite the dangers of the area and the match being meaningless for Celtic around 500 hoops fans are expected to make the trip to the Turkish capital.

Supporters familiar with the regular trips to Milan and Barcelona have been looking forward to visiting Istanbul with the Syria crisis having little effect on their travel plans.

The ISTANBHOYS had arranged for coaches to take visiting supporters to and from the match but thanks to John Paul Taylor, Celtic’s Supporters Liason Officer, the club has taken over that function.

More than 1,200 fans are following the ISTANBHOYS who have arranged a party for supporters the night before the match and an on the ground local information service.

With a population of around 14 million there are the usual dangers and pleasures associated with a city where Europe meets Asia.

Travel precautions have been increased worldwide since the events in Paris on November 13 with the Foreign Office issueing specific instructions to Celtic fans who are all travelling independently Turkey.

Yesterday the Foreign Office issued a statement relating to the match which carried the usual tips with no specific warnings for fans travelling to the match

• generally crime levels are low, but street robbery and pick-pocketing are common in the major tourist areas of Istanbul. Only carry what you need and leave spare cash and valuables in hotel safety deposits

• it’s an offence to insult the Turkish nation or the national flag, or to deface or tear up currency

• smoking is prohibited on public transport and in other public areas like stadiums, playgrounds, cafes, bars, and restaurants. You can be fined if you’re caught smoking in a designated smoke-free area

• buy bottled water to drink; it’s readily available from local shops, hotels etc

• try not to travel alone to the stadium and avoid displaying Celtic flags/ shirts in public places

• avoid Kad?köy and Ba?dat Street which are the home suburbs for Fenerbahçe supporters

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