heading east (on a bicycle!)

Hello 'Very-un "

Not to answer your question exactly, but I'm also in Konya right now, taking in the Mystic Music Festival.
Free concerts until Friday at 9.00pm every night at the Mevlana Cultural Centre - i assume you know about them and are attending?
Would you like to meet up? If so, I'll be at the cafeteria downstairs at the centre from about 8.30 - 8.45pm tonight, young/old female wearing an orange and yellow top and a Konya headscarf. I may be with some pretty, gypsy-like people, otherwise on my own. (Same for tomorrow night.)
Otherwise, I'm staying at Ulusan Hotel, which is quite near Petek hotel, just off Mevlana Caddesi.

Can also give you a few tips about the south-east, where I was last year.

Ohh Very-un,be careful of MC she is a real wild woman :))) she'll have you waltzing Matilda in 5 minutes flat hee hee hee!
MC hope you're enjoying yourself in Konya and keeping warm enough now it has suddenly turned so chilly and wet.

So,Very-un in principal you should be fine going out towards Van and up the eastern border over into Georgia but as you know there are security issues in that region and indeed there is a section which is closed off right (now due to an ongoing battle )which forms a rough triangle of Çaldıran in north Van Province,Ağrı and Doğubeyazıt.
Someone else on a bike tour posted up asking a very similar question a few days ago;here is a link to that thread-
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/europe-eastern-europe-the-caucasus/turkey/security-cycling-northeaster-turkey
I think this will answer many of your questions.Basically to reiterate what is in there,go and seek local advice at each place,explain where you plan to go and ask about current conditions(which can change on a day to day basis)and LISTEN to what you are told.
Army check points are nothing to fear btw.Make sure you have all your documents to hand to show them if asked and use the opportunity to ask for yet further local info and advice.These people are not your enemy and have no interest in making life difficult for you but they are doing a dangerous job so don't always expect them to be laughing and cheery-even though sometimes they are :)but they will be very helpful if you ask for road info.

This sounds like a great trip and I would love it if at some point in future you have time to write a trip review and post it up on the Trip Review sticky at the top of the page.Such an unusual trip is something that would provide good useful info for others.
Happy travels!

Ohh Very-un,be careful of MC she is a real wild woman :))) she'll have you waltzing Matilda in 5 minutes flat hee hee hee!
MC hope you're enjoying yourself in Konya and keeping warm enough now it has suddenly turned so chilly and wet.

Ooooh - Sari - I shall sue you for defamation! Maybe not, you'd probably win ;>(
I am a very nice, quiet person when I'm in Konya. Mostly, anyways. Except when I wear my reindeer hat - but that's only in December, at Sebi-arus, when we all go a little crazy.

Konya is lovely and after only one wet, coldish, day the sun has come out to a nice 18-23 degrees - just perfect.
Going back to istanbul, then home on 3 October, where I have a date set up for the following week; and old friend I haven't seen for 44 years and who has likewise never quite grown up.
THEN I shall be crazier than I've been for a very long time. ;>))

Thanks, Sarianarya, for your very thorough answer and the link to the other thread which does provide lots of information.

The trouble with listening to local advice is that a lot of people think that travelling alone (especially as a woman) is inherently dangerous and I shouldn't do it at all. It's kind of hard sometimes to filter out the real dangers from the assumed ones. But I'll do my best to listen carefully and take things seriously. I imagine my almost total lack of Turkish is going to impede detailed communication somewhat.

Mother Courage, I wish you'd got in touch a couple of days earlier because I would definitely liked to have met up for a chat about this and that. I've actually been a bit hopeless about attending the Mystic Music Festival. I went to the sema on Saturday night but I haven't done much else apart from visiting Mevlana. But I'm off early tomorrow morning and so I think I'll be getting an early night tonight.

Ah,by local advice I didn't mean just any old bod who'll give you the standard"oh no my dear you really shouldn't go t-h-e-r-e!" type answer.I meant local security officers whether police or jandarma.They will know where any...activity or dodgy points could be at any given time plus of course they'll know about any road works etc. too.Lack of Turkish needn't be a problem,you may be surprised to find even out there officers with some English and of course pointing at maps,doodles plus some inventive miming etc.can all help you to explain yourself and what you want.

As a solo woman(and on a bike!) yes,you'll be an object of some curiousity but then that will have been the same for much of your time here in Turkey.This curiosity is usually benign however and nothing to be afraid of and I am sure you know by now about looking out for yourself by now too.
As it is cooler now I'm guessing you'll probably be cycling in longer trousers now are you?If not then the further east you go the longer they need to be frankly.You don't need to bike in a burka :) but do be modest and cover up more than you have in western Turkey.
From Konya to Van what sort of route are you thinking about?Logically after Cappadocia you'd go Kayseri>southern Sivas>Malatya>Diyarbakır>Batman>Siirt>Bitlis>Van.There are a couple of sections there which take you through very open,sparse,remote area's where you really do need to ask about before setting off.If worst comes to worst even consider cheating and putting your bike on an intercity bus for some of it.Your safety is more valuable than great idea's.....
BTW,the PKK have never targetted foreigners per se,they have usually fallen into their hands by accident(wrong place at the wrong time)and have been released unharmed if rather shaken shortly afterwards but obviously that is something to avoid if at all possible.And to this end ,local people-who will be delighted to see a tourist-will always look out for you and help you.

Yes, I bought long trousers in Istanbul and feel more comfortable in them. I haven't done any touristy coastal areas where showing off a lot of skin is tolerated. I tend to cover up anyway for protection from the sun, if not anything else. I've been wild camping and feel safe but I do make sure I'm hidden and a decent walk away from roads and areas accessible by car and keep a eye out for well-trodden footpaths, too. I've been travelling alone through dodgy kinds of areas (think Copper Canyon in Mexico, La Moskitia in Honduras, for example) for a long time now.

And you're right about gestures and sign language -Turkish people seem inherently communicative. They make an effort to understand and be understood which is a very lovely charateristic.

I feel pretty overwhelmingly positive about Turkey so far!

That's great,you're a smart girl so I'm sure you'll be fine, but do keep in touch with the forum during your travels won't you?There are a few of us who are always on and off the forum at some time during the day who can answer any questions you may have.
Yes,Turkish people are naturally very hospitable and it is a point of honour for them to look after any guest here and try to help them if they can.You'll find that even more so the further east you go and that includes 5 or 6 all putting together what English they know to form a sentence :) Mimes and good humour can break down any language barrier in an instant.

By the way, Diyarbakır is smack bang in the middle of a big red area on the UK travel advisory map.

Now I don't pay that much attention to official travel advisories but I have been using this map as a rough guide if only because it is quite a lot more sensible than the Australian, New Zealand or US travel advisory maps. The AUS/NZ/US ones basically advise against all but 'necessary' travel for the whole of Turkey, which I guess is why the tourist industry is hurting so badly at the moment.

The UK one more sedately advises absolutely not to travel within 10 kilometres of the Syrian border which sounds eminently sensible and to be cautious in certain other limited areas. The only other area they have marked in high alert red is Diyarbakır... So what are your considered thoughts on Diyarbakır?

Hmm yes,this is the section that concerns me the most;Diyarbakır has always been a volatile place and is now like a tinder box,best avoided as much as possible.

From Kayseri to Malatya there are no problems and from there you could drop down into Adıyaman to visit Nemrut Mountain(where there big stone heads are),you can go up there with no problems before winter kicks in.
After that you could take the ferry across Ataturk Dam and go to Şanlıurfa which,in spite of it's southern location is safe enough and a truly lovely city to visit.Up to this point I feel confident you will encounter no issues at all other than too many people wanting to offer you food and accomodation :)

Then? ....well you could cycle along the southern shore of Ataturk Dam through Siverek to Diyarbakır but from there you have some real bandit country ahead of you and it is at this point when taking a bus to Van would be a smart idea IMHO.

An alternative is to go from Urfa to Mardin but this takes you along a very major road which is always packed with oil tankers and large wagons plus military vehicles.Not ideal for you.But...here's an idea.You could take the bus from Urfa to Batman(5 hours very regular buses)and go to visit beautiful ancient Hasankeyf which will be lost under the waters of a new dam next year.Spend a day or two cycling around the area and then board another bus on to Van,these too are very regular.
This second option would be a good one I reckon.This option would allow you to visit some special points of interest safely and the go on to the next one safely too and avoids you having to cycle across sections where you would be vulnerable.
I know it maybe feels like you'd be cheating a bit but frankly who cares so long as you can live to tell the tale of where you DID cycle?
So that gives you a few options to think about but before deciding wait until you are in that locale,talk to people who know what is happening(those in authority)and then if you don't feel you want to risk it at least you know you have the buses there as a plan B.
Of course there is the perfectly possible chance you could cycle the whole way without the slightest problem but my conscience says I have to be honest with you and I make no apologies if it seems like I'm fussing.