Turkey's in the news again and, as usual, the news is not good. Yesterday gunmen attacked the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, killing three policemen.

News is often negative, because it is by definition a recording of things outside the norm. But Turkey seems to suffer more bad news than most countries.

Yet when people ask me to name my favorite places, I always mention Turkey. It was one of those rare countries in which I was made to feel not like a tourist but like a guest. And not just in one city, but everywhere I went: Istanbul, Urgup, Ankara, Konya, Fethiye, Selcuk. The hospitality of the Turks - sometimes demonstrated through the simplest of gestures - touched me in a way that has rarely been replicated in my travels.

Of course, there is great political and religious tension in the country. But it rarely touches tourists. The consulate that was attacked yesterday is a 20-minute drive from the center of Istanbul, in a neighborhood unknown to tour buses.

Terrorism is one of the sad facts of 21st century life, and you're no more immune to it at home than you are on the road. It shouldn't dissuade anyone from traveling, especially to a place where you will be received with respect and gratitude.


Photo: The Golden Horn in Istanbul with a view across the way of the 14th century Galata Tower. Tom Swick, 1998.