"I can recall several days around the 2008 Olympics when entry policies were severely tightened, but this was well publicized."

Not at all! You'll recall that getting visas in the run-up to the Olympics became very difficult, but officially China maintained -- as it usually does in these instances -- that it was business as usual. The situation became well-publicized only because of public complaints.

And where's the official announcement about Turkish visas being a potential problem? Not a word: it's business as usual.