US citizen John Bowlus, who has been living in Istanbul for five years, is one of many foreigners who have been shaken by a series of terror attacks in Turkey.

Bowlus, 37, addressing Istanbul's deserted avenues, forlorn shopping malls and empty subways, said, “I am still happy to live here and don’t think of leaving, but these are definitely the most difficult times I have had in Turkey.” 

Lionel Genaud, a Swiss citizen studying for his masters’ degree in Turkey, told Al-Monitor, “Terror is not new to Turkey. But until today, terror attacks had specific targets. I always thought a majority of the people were safe. I live close to Istiklal Street, the scene of the latest explosion. My daily life has turned upside down." Genaud, 24, added that he likes Turkey and doesn’t plan to leave for now. “I don’t want to bow to terrorists, but if it gets worse I don’t know what I will do,” he said.

In five Islamic State and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) bomb attacks in central locations of Ankara and Istanbul since October, 185 people have been killed and hundreds wounded. The targets in Istanbul were the top tourism locations of Sultanahmet and Taksim.