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Over the past weeks, we have been closely monitoring security and safety in Istanbul. In particular, we focused on how events in Israel and the Gaza Strip affected attendee safety.
We try to evaluate risks when we host an event. In the case of Devconnect Istanbul, we consulted with our event partners and local community members and monitored government warnings impacting our community or region. We have recently taken the additional step of working with external risk advisory services to consider where and how we may need to make changes to reflect conditions at a regional level.
Before further updates, we would like to share two key points:
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Although the current threat specifically targeting the Devconnect event itself is low, there is a high risk of large protests, targeted violence or unrest in various neighborhoods of Istanbul. These risks may increase over the next few weeks if the conflict in Israel and Gaza escalates.
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There is a grave danger to Israelis, Israeli citizens and persons of Jewish faith or lineage. Israel issued a notice warning any Israelis in the country to leave Türkiye immediately.
Therefore, we strongly advise groups at risk to take these warnings seriously, and reconsider their travel plans, while we continue to evaluate recommendations for others, and work to provide clarity on the status of EF-organized Devconnect events.
We realize this may make some people uncomfortable, but we have made the decision to prioritize the safety of community members, and we feel a responsibility to share what we have learned as soon as possible.
Recent weeks have involved complex and emotional decisions for many in our community, whose members hold diverse opinions. In addition to the risks mentioned, we also recognize the physical distance between Istanbul and the heart of this conflict, and that the thriving local community has been active and positive every step of the way. In the process, we heard feedback from the perspectives of those who may be personally affected, team members based in conflict areas, organizing teams, and others who have spent the year working on these events.
We will continue to provide updates as regional conditions clarify. Thank you for your continued patience during this complex time.
