Istanbul Report

[Santiagodc]

This past December I had a chance to spend three weeks in Greece and one week in Turkey. I’ll write about my Athens and Greece experience in another post when time allows. 

I had travelled much of Turkey several times before with tour groups but had very little luck with finding guys. My one bit of luck was on a previous expedition where I was in a hot air balloon over the Cappadocian mountains with a sexy Turkish balloon guide. When he found out that I was single, he started rubbing his dick. I was able to play with it a few minutes until we had to land with the other balloons. Had a been a little quicker and started on take-off, I could have given a blow job to a Turk as the sun rose. Alas, those are missed opportunities. My most previous visit to Turkey has been to Istanbul for one week about one year ago. I had one bad and one good experience. 

The bad experience happened when I met a sexy Turk in Taksim Square and we walked over to Taksim Park for sex. As we got on the back side of one of the trees on the back section, it became clear that he had a knife he was holding in his right pocket as he walked. Now I understand the need for his own protection, but I was not keen on finding out if he was going to rob me. I stopped, pointed to the area, and then said NO. I then pointed to another section (the east side near the hotels) and motioned for hm to walk with me there. As we walked I was trying to think of a way to run or exit the place. At that moment two policemen were walking through the park. I saw them and just waved and started saying “Hello, hello, can you help me?” The young man immediately started walking away and when the police arrived, I simply asked them to give me directions to my hotel. I had read on the internet about horror stories with guys in Istanbul, so I was very wary of future street action. 

The good experience happened happened on my last night at the Aquarius Sauna which is quite famous. The place seems to close and reopen every few months. It had just reopened and I ventured into the place. I had a great experience with one Turkish guy that was mesmerizing. 

Fast forward to December when I decided to try my luck again in Istanbul. I first went to visit the three bars/clubs and two caffes you can find on the internet. Even with Covid, they were open and quite busy. I immediately had a few young Turks come to talk with me at each place. Their English was not that great but sufficed. Because of my not knowing Turkish, I decided to not chance an encounter with any of the guys. I considered a blow-job for one, but the bathroom could not hold the two of us at the same time. At another bar I finally met two Turkish guys that spoke English. Suddenly this older British man said hello to me and asked if I would join him for a drink at his table. He then proceeds to tell me that I was about to fall prey to a scam. The Turkish guys/escorts had been making it a habit of taking a foreign guys back to their hotel and robbing them. He warned me that they also spiked drinks and had carried a French guy out the previous week when he seemingly looked to be drunk. This British man and his partner are retired living there. He said it was not very safe in parts of Istanbul right now for gays, so even they introduce themselves as  “business” colleagues.  He did give me one interesting insight. He said that Grindr and Planet Romeo would have plenty of straight, masculine, Turkish guys available for sex, but there had been too many horror stories in Istanbul about what happened when these guys got to a client’s hotel or apartment. Instead, he said I should choose a gay man that was clearly a bottom and maybe even effeminate. They said I would have a better chance of not having a gay attack another gay. Well, I tried it and found one sexy university student on Grindr who joined me at my hotel with no problem. He was a bottom, gay, slightly effeminate, and had an amazing body. He told me many sad stories of openly gay men trying to live in Istanbul. I spent three evenings with him and still keep in contact.

I also decided to return to Aquarius Sauna during the day hours. I had one bad experience and three sexy experiences. The bad experience was a young Kurd that had the body of a God, promised to kiss on the lips, and would allow me to suck him for 700 lira ($99 USD). When we got to the room, he would not kiss at all. I tried to leave and he pushed me into the wall and wanted the money. I said NO and motioned that first there was the blow job and then the money. He laid on the table, I gave him the blow job, and then we exited to the cabin. I gave him the 700 lira and he demanded more. I told him NO and immediately walked to the bar area. The guy did not follow, but the bar guy heard me and asked (in English) what had happened. I explained and he said he would ask the guy to leave since he had followed me to the cabin (notice… NOT because he had lied!). I was then offered a drink and two other Turks came to talk with me. They offered themselves as a top and a bottom for 500 lira each ($70 USD) if I wanted some group action. I was soured on the prior experience at this point so I left. I returned the next day and those same two Turks offered themselves again. I decided to take them up this time and we had a great experience for four days in a row (kissing, cumming, sucking, fucking, getting fucked). 

AQUARIUS SAUNA: This can be a bit scary if you have not been there before. Search on the internet under google maps for photos. The entrance is off Istiklal pedestrian road that connects with Taksim Square. The street is Katip Mustafa Çelebi, Sadri Alışık Sk. No: 29/1, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey. You can find a marker in Google maps for the location, as well as a 360 view where you can walk through the sauna. You enter off the main road, pay your fee of 50 lira ($7 USD), and then go down a set of steps to the cabin area. You are given a cabin with your own key, a towel, and sandals. You disrobe in the cabin, wrap the towel around you, leave your valuables in the cabin, and then lock the door. You then can walk into the lounge area where all the boys will be sitting. There were about 10 boys on each visit I was there. I then went to the bar on the right and got myself a drink watching carefully how it was made so as not to be spiked. At that point I had brought the International Herald Tribune so I started reading it. The boys will immediately start to approach you for business. The whole place is very dirty to my taste, but they were trying to keep it clean as you can see from the photos. The rooms for sex required you to go up the very narrow set of stairs to the left of the bar area to what I can only describe as an attic. Once at the top, there were a series of 8 rooms that were about 10 ft by 20 ft. each, with a table/mattress (see the photo on google…the room you see there is CLEAN if you can believe it!). This was the most cramped I have ever been for sex. The guy will spray the mattress with a disinfectant, and then place a large towel/blanket over the mattress. When you are finished, you return to your cabin to retrieve the money. The guy is not supposed to follow you back to the cabin.

WEBSITE (the photos in google are better): www. aquariussauna.com

PAY: The gay guy from Grindr asked for 400 lira ($56 USD). He was so good I gave him 800 each time and also met for some meals. The Aquarius guys wanted 500 lira per person for the package deal, but the others were all asking for 700 lira ($99). I was told by the British couple that the going rate paid offered a Turkish client at Aquarius was 300-400 lira ($42-$56 USD). 

Good luck!

[forrestreid]

Great report Santiaodc.

And promises of a Greece report as well - would love to read that.

I must admire your presence of mind about the Taksim Square encounter - I would absolutely piss myself!

[forrestreid]

I was in Turkey three years ago. I had thought I had left a brief description of what I get up to on this site but I can’t seem to find it now.

I was basically so nervous when I visited there that at all I ended up doing was booking a guy for “massage” from the Hunqz website. I picked a guy with a few good reviews, which I hoped meant he would not rob me me and leave me for dead. He was a little bit expensive for Turkey - I think he was charging the equivalent of 130 euro for a “massage”.

Hi arranged for him to come to my hotel. I was staying at a small boutique hotel on a side street of Istiqlal Street. It was tall and narrow, with only about two or three rooms per floor and a breakfast room on top. On the day the masseur was to arrive it was staffed with a middle-aged male receptionist. He was very friendly, rather camp but a bit cloying. If it had been Ireland I would have been 100% sure he was gay, but as I was in Turkey I was less confident about my gaydar.

As the masseur I booked was good looking and muscular I guessed that the receptionist would clock what was happening straight away, and I was wondering if my visitor would have any difficulties being given access to my room. Therefore before he arrived, I informed the receptionist that I had a gentleman coming to discuss business and said, casually, “you can just send him up when he arrives” as if I was about to show him fabric samples or something. The receptionist said he would.

So the masseur arrived and came to my room. We had only just started undressing when there was a knock at the door. Obviously it was the receptionist about something. I was quite mortified, but the massage guy was very relaxed and just lay on the bed. I quickly threw on my clothes, went to the door and opened it it just a crack. The receptionist was outside and said “I have set up some Turkish tea up in the breakfast room for you and your guest”.

Obviously I had to tell him that we were okay where we were. He seemed a bit disappointed, but that was that.

When my guy left I was wondering if there would be anything said to him when leaving. So I stuck my head down the window as he was going down to reception, to see if you left the building fairly promptly and he did. I was relieved as I assumed that meant he hadn’t had much of a chance to be questioned by the receptionist on the way out. However I noticed the receptionist changed towards me from then on. He had been friendly in a smarmy kind of way beforehand, but now he didn’t meet my eye and barely said a word to me. That was fine with me, but I was rather self-conscious coming and going after that!

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by forrestreid
adding a word

[tm_nyc]

Thank you for another excellent report!  I am looking forward to a return to Istanbul when things become a little bit closer to normal.

I have read that Izmir has a small gay scene & Bodrum has a very small scene.  Any experience with them?

[Santiagodc]

12 hours ago, ForrestReid1614502761 said:

I was in Turkey three years ago. I had thought I had left a brief description of what I get up to on this site but I can’t seem to find it now.

I was basically so nervous when I visited there that at all I ended up doing was booking a guy for “massage” from the Hunqz website. I picked a guy with a few good reviews, which I hoped meant he would not rob me me and leave me for dead. He was a little bit expensive for Turkey - I think he was charging the equivalent of 130 euro for a “massage”.

Hi arranged for him to come to my hotel. I was staying at a small boutique hotel on a side street of Istiqlal Street. It was tall and narrow, with only about two or three rooms per floor and a breakfast room on top. On the day the masseur was to arrive it was staffed with a middle-aged male receptionist. He was very friendly, rather camp but a bit cloying. If it had been Ireland I would have been 100% sure he was gay, but as I was in Turkey I was less confident about my gaydar.

As the masseur I booked was good looking and muscular I guessed that the receptionist would clock what was happening straight away, and I was wondering if my visitor would have any difficulties being given access to my room. Therefore before he arrived, I informed the receptionist that I had a gentleman coming to discuss business and said, casually, “you can just send him up when he arrives” as if I was about to show him fabric samples or something. The receptionist said he would.

So the masseur arrived and came to my room. We had only just started undressing when there was a knock at the door. Obviously it was the receptionist about something. I was quite mortified, but the massage guy was very relaxed and just lay on the bed. I quickly threw on my clothes, went to the door and opened it it just a crack. The receptionist was outside and said “I have set up some Turkish tea up in the breakfast room for you and your guest”.

Obviously I had to tell him that we were okay where we were. He seemed a bit disappointed, but that was that.

When my guy left I was wondering if there would be anything said to him when leaving. So I stuck my head down the window as he was going down to reception, to see if you left the building fairly promptly and he did. I was relieved as I assumed that meant he hadn’t had much of a chance to be questioned by the receptionist on the way out. However I noticed the receptionist changed towards me from then on. He had been friendly in a smarmy kind of way beforehand, but now he didn’t meet my eye and barely said a word to me. That was fine with me, but I was rather self-conscious coming and going after that!

 

What a great story! I would have simply withered when the manager was at the door!

 

I remember visiting the Istanbul Military Museum (one of the best in the world) and this Turkish guy struck up an English conversation with me. He said he was wanting to practice his English, but it was also clear he was someone I would peg as gay in DC or London. As I was walking back to my hotel, he said he was headed to Taksim and asked if he could tag along. We stopped at an outdoor café along the way and I offered to pay for a coffee. When the coffee and snacks were delivered, my new friend said to me, "They are discriminating against us". I asked WHY and he pointed to the people sitting around us whose coffee and cookie selection delivered to their table were quite larger than ours. I laughed and said, "Is it because I'm a foreigner?"  He said, "No, its because they think we are gay just because I am talking with you! I can't believe that!" I then said, "Well, they are at least partially correct. One of us IS gay!" He never addressed my comment, but he then showed me a photo of his "girlfriend!" We also just parted ways afterwards. I could never quite figure out when someone there was just straight metrosexual, straight but effeminate, gay, or otherwise. My normally fine-tuned middle eastern gaydar just seemed to be off in this much different Turkish culture. The Turks and Kurds there are so supremely sexy, though.

[Santiagodc]

6 hours ago, tm_nyc said:

Thank you for another excellent report!  I am looking forward to a return to Istanbul when things become a little bit closer to normal.

I have read that Izmir has a small gay scene & Bodrum has a very small scene.  Any experience with them?

I found nothing in Bodrum. I visited Izmir for three days on my way back from Ephesus, but it was two years ago. I visited three of the major gay friendly dance clubs/bars that were listed, but the problem was that I was staying with a friend so I could not bring anyone back. The CIX Club was gigantic. The moment I walked in I realized things would be interesting as everyone there was less than 30 years of age.  Everyone clearly knew what this old man came to find and it was NOT just to dance! Half the place starting smiling and walking up to chat, but it was also true that half of the place started reaching into my pockets and trying to steal from me. I went to Club KA and found mostly Kurds there who were straight for pay. They were sexy and ready to go, but again no place. The night I tried Gullum and there were only about 20 men in the place and 1 sure guy for rent. The bartender even told me I could take action to the lavatory, but the one rent guy was not worth it. The loos at the other two places were just too crowded to even try something. My plan had been to go back last year and find an airbnb nearby, but Covid hit. So, the fruit was ready to pick! The pick-pocket attempts were quite proliferous, though. An updated report would be ideal if you make it there. 

[antoinek]

Great stories @Santiagodc! I enjoyed reading it. I am planning to go to Istanbul may be in April but very scared to get into one of those guys that offer service but get you into trouble! I had bad experience year ago. 

[xpaulo]

Years ago I had a lot of trouble getting an escort into my hotel room in Istanbul, so when I was there in Jan/2020 I got a room a block from Aquarius and went there three nights in a row, there were many young hot,masculine Kurdish men there, although I spent time with the same guy each night. He was incredible. They always ask for more money, but in the end I'm getting an intense, fantastic experience I'd never get at home and it's still less expensive than anything I'd get at home. I've travelled with people whose whole day is ruined by a taxi driver who cheated them out of 50 cents. It's not worth the grief to get upset about that.

[Baska]

The Aquarius booth incident reminded me of my experience there.
On the evening of November 9, 2020, I went there for a so-called massage. I paid 70 lire to enter and a guy named Aziz led me into my booth. Photo of the booth is attached.
After taking a walk in the sauna, during which one jock felt my ass, I went into the steam room. In the steam room, there was one more person besides me, but he does not play a role in the further narration. But the first role is played by a bald guy with a beard who came into the steam room after me.
He sat down next to me and invited me to touch his cock and opened his pastamal. I don't know if it was due to a huge erect dick or a high temperature in the steam room, but my rational thinking turned off and I immediately agreed to a massage at a price of 150 lira, although at the entrance there was an announcement that it cost 120 lira.
My rational thinking was still missing when a bald guy, during an oil massage, poking his dick in my face, offered a special massage. My question is "how much?" - he replied - "expensive" and again I agreed!
Then the circus with horses began - when I began to suck his cock, I realized that he was my size and decided not to let myself be fucked. But the guy ignored my decision and began to force me into anal sex. On my attempts to free himself from his grip and discuss the problem face to face, and not with a dick put to the ass, he promised that he would thrust his dick into me just a little bit and even show how little. Realizing that I could be raped like that, I decided to take matters into my own hands and put myself on his dick in the pose of a rider. And I did it!
But then the bald guy began to actively change positions, saying - you are my wife, you are my pussy, I will fuck you every day, I will fuck you as I want - and my ass protested. My protests, to be fair, I must say, quiet were again ignored by him.
In the end, I could only cum when I sucked his cock and licked his balls.
After that, the bald guy helped me take a shower, walked me to my booth and went into it with me. I did not know about the ban on masseurs from entering the booth, and I was inhibited after a special massage, and therefore did not chase him away. He announced the price for a special massage of 500 lira, which was paid to him.
With a hard ass and realizing how rape victims feel, I went to my hotel with the firm intention of going to an ordinary male hammam tomorrow. Looking ahead, I will say that even there I could not convincingly say "no".

[Santiagodc]

19 hours ago, Baska said:

The Aquarius booth incident reminded me of my experience there.
On the evening of November 9, 2020, I went there for a so-called massage. I paid 70 lire to enter and a guy named Aziz led me into my booth. Photo of the booth is attached.
After taking a walk in the sauna, during which one jock felt my ass, I went into the steam room. In the steam room, there was one more person besides me, but he does not play a role in the further narration. But the first role is played by a bald guy with a beard who came into the steam room after me.
He sat down next to me and invited me to touch his cock and opened his pastamal. I don't know if it was due to a huge erect dick or a high temperature in the steam room, but my rational thinking turned off and I immediately agreed to a massage at a price of 150 lira, although at the entrance there was an announcement that it cost 120 lira.
My rational thinking was still missing when a bald guy, during an oil massage, poking his dick in my face, offered a special massage. My question is "how much?" - he replied - "expensive" and again I agreed!
Then the circus with horses began - when I began to suck his cock, I realized that he was my size and decided not to let myself be fucked. But the guy ignored my decision and began to force me into anal sex. On my attempts to free himself from his grip and discuss the problem face to face, and not with a dick put to the ass, he promised that he would thrust his dick into me just a little bit and even show how little. Realizing that I could be raped like that, I decided to take matters into my own hands and put myself on his dick in the pose of a rider. And I did it!
But then the bald guy began to actively change positions, saying - you are my wife, you are my pussy, I will fuck you every day, I will fuck you as I want - and my ass protested. My protests, to be fair, I must say, quiet were again ignored by him.
In the end, I could only cum when I sucked his cock and licked his balls.
After that, the bald guy helped me take a shower, walked me to my booth and went into it with me. I did not know about the ban on masseurs from entering the booth, and I was inhibited after a special massage, and therefore did not chase him away. He announced the price for a special massage of 500 lira, which was paid to him.
With a hard ass and realizing how rape victims feel, I went to my hotel with the firm intention of going to an ordinary male hammam tomorrow. Looking ahead, I will say that even there I could not convincingly say "no".

Dear Lord, Baska! That was a sexy story! I can just pictured the riding!

[tm_nyc]

Very interesting!

Since you mention it, what about ordinary male hammam in Turkey?  Some things I have seen online refer to 'gay-friendly hammam' in Istanbul & (maybe) Ankara.  Is discreet action possible?  I understand that massage may not take place in a private room & that, of course, puts a damper on things.

[davet]

Is all the meat in the hammams halal?

[Enlgishman]

I also worked in Istanbul for some time when Covid first started to die down here and the rules were relaxed, I visited Aquarius a few times. I found that they all said they were absolute 100% tops, and even though I am a top some were so hot I couldn't resist I would still agree to take them to the cabin, I would say at least half would bottom for me. I also fell for a silly scam on Grindr, some very handsome man said he would come to my Airbnb, he did, took his clothes off and put a knife down on the table, said that he didn't feel like sex so If I could give him the money and he would come back tommorow for the sex, of Course he didn't but how could I argue with a knife there. It was only 300lira anyway, about 35euro. He actually wasn't very smart as I was there for 2 months and it could of been a nice money earner for him. 

Edited April 24, 2021 by Enlgishman
spelling

[msclelovr]

56 minutes ago, Enlgishman said:

how could I argue with a knife there. It was only 300lira anyway, about 35euro.

That must have been startling. You had a lucky escape @Enlgishman

[msclelovr]

58 minutes ago, Enlgishman said:

they all said they were absolute 100% tops, and even though I am a top some were so hot I couldn't resist I would still agree to take them to the cabin, I would say at least half would bottom for me.

Is that because you happened to ask them in front of their friends what they would do?
 

I’ve had a similar experience in other countries with a ‘masculine’ culture (such as Argentina) where guys profess to be tops…but in private they’ll happily bottom for me and/or suck cock to completion and swallow my load

[Enlgishman]

9 hours ago, msclelovr said:

Is that because you happened to ask them in front of their friends what they would do?
 

I’ve had a similar experience in other countries with a ‘masculine’ culture (such as Argentina) where guys profess to be tops…but in private they’ll happily bottom for me and/or suck cock to completion and swallow my load

oh yes Im sure it was all about keeping face infront of the other workers, my gaydar in Turkey was thrown off many times, lots of overly masculine types. 

[davet]

@Enlgishman Any recent updates about Aquarius or Istanbul in general? What days and times are good, how many guys and what types. I'm researching - or just daydreaming. I know the covid situation there is currently dicey but maybe later this year.

[Enlgishman]

I don't think Aquarius ever closed, throughout the pandemic lockdowns all you had to do was hang around outside for a few minutes and someone would come out and let you in, of course its much quieter inside and less options, but its been open the 3 times I had to go to Istanbul.

[Enlgishman]

foreigner group in Istanbul if you want to share some info about some guys and places etc 

https://t.me/joinchat/FHazlY-XmLk0NWY0
 

 

[andygchicago]

All these stories about trade with knives...

I don't know, guys.

[forrestreid]

On 10/6/2021 at 7:34 AM, andygchicago said:

All these stories about trade with knives...

I don't know, guys.

Where, on the Telegram group?

[speedoo1]

The Telegram group will works?  I get error/link expired when I search/try to open in Telegram

[Cany10011]

On 10/15/2021 at 6:21 PM, forrestreid said:

Where, on the Telegram group?

Believe invite link has expired. 

 

[Skardesim]

I live in Istanbul Asia side and please let me know if you need accompany for free

[xpaulo]

Was just in Istanbul the first two weeks of December. Lots of he-man type escorts in romeo and rentmen. Did meet up for an hour with an incredibly hot escort. Went back and forth in my head about whether it was crazy to go to Aquarius with omicron taking off, but went twice just at the end. Definitely some attractive guys there. A few male model types who really aren't my thing. Had a great time with a few working class type guys. They're the kind of guys I grew up with and have always been the most attractive for me. Didn't get Covid.  I suppose the guys there would have had it already, maybe more than once. It was must be a pretty conducive place for transmission, little rooms, close contact. It was incredibly cheap with the TL collapsing, but guilt inducing because the economic problems are really hard on the working people. Also went to Barcelona, but the Thermas site said foreigners needed a document I didn't have. I had a French covid pass that might have got me in, but I didn't feel like trying to sort something like that out at door. Had a nice time in Paris with an escort and a duo in Madrid. I'm at an age where just some body contact and some light activities are more my thing. All of the escorts I met were good guys and I had a good time with them. Not many tourists around Europe, but the cafes and bars everywhere are busy, especially Paris. It was kind of surreal seeing people packed together, not wearing any masks.