Some are questioning my tweet about life jackets so let me share what I know. I did not buy one but inspected them closely and believed that I could tell by look and touch that they did not compare to proper life vests I have used in the past. None I saw bore any kind of standard institute’s or regulator's approval, many did not have a brand name, most were ill-fitting, which would make swimming difficult. Some of those I saw may have met safety standards, but others were shoddily stitched together with poor quality material. Shop clerks refused to answer journalists’ basic questions about their safety record, where they are manufactured or the material used.

Local NGO workers told me some vests actually contain water-drawing
material that increases the risk of drowning. With tens of thousands of
people making this journey this summer, life jacket stocks that meet
safety standards have been largely depleted in Turkey, they said.

Turkey only has two life jacket makers that meet European standards,
according to media reports. Some of those being sold at clothiers, food markets and other unusual retailers are illicitly manufactured, they report. I did not independently verify this.

See links for a couple of news stories in Turkish:

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/29438775.asp
http://www.haberakar.com/can-yelegi-ile-umuda-yolculuk-haberi-3943

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