Homeless people in Istanbul?
Maybe I was never in the right location. Maybe it is too cold to be sleeping outside. Maybe there are a lot of buildings that are empty, and in Istanbul when a homeless person stays there they don't burn the old buildings. Maybe the police make anyone sleeping in public to move on. Maybe because most public places require going through a metal detector or a security check point. Maybe because even small hotels have front desks staffed 24 hours a daym. Maybe there are security cameras and recording devices in every business. Maybe the public transportation is fairly cheap and people ride to the outside of town.
So. The only place I went, where my guide said homeless people hang out there and it dangerous, I still didn't see encampments of tents. I saw a couple of guys hanging out in the ruins of the walls day drinking. It didn't look like they lived there.
So Istanbul. You are a mystery to me because what happens in other cities, doesn't happen the same way on your streets.