Over the past few weeks, we have been closely monitoring security and safety in Istanbul. In particular, we focused on how events in Israel and the Gaza Strip could impact the safety of attendees.
We try to assess the risks every time we host an event. For Devconnect Istanbul, we consulted with our event organizer partners, local community members, and monitored government warnings that affected our community or region. We have recently taken the further step of working with an external risk advisory service to consider where and how we need to make changes to reflect local circumstances.
Before further updates, I would like to share two key points:
Although the threat targeting the Devconnect event itself is currently low, the risk of large-scale protests, targeted violence, or disruption occurring in various areas of Istanbul is significantly higher. These risks are likely to increase in the coming weeks as the conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip escalates.
There is a serious risk to Israelis, Israeli citizens, and people of Jewish faith or ancestry. Israel issued a notice warning all Israelis living in the country to leave Turkey immediately..
We therefore strongly advise high-risk groups to take these warnings seriously, reconsider their travel plans while continuously evaluating recommendations for others, and strive to provide clarity on the status of Devconnect events hosted by EF.
We understand that this may be inconvenient for some, but we have decided that the safety of our community members is our top priority, and we feel a responsibility to share what we learn as quickly as possible.
Over the past few weeks, many members of our community have faced complex and emotional decisions with varying opinions. In addition to the risks mentioned, we recognize the physical distance between Istanbul and the center of the conflict and the thriving communities that are active and positive at all levels. Throughout this process, we’ve heard feedback from the perspectives of those who may be personally affected, team members in conflict zones, the teams that make up the teams, and others who have spent the year working on these events.
We will continue to provide updates as the local situation becomes clearer. Thank you for your continued patience during this complex time.