Hornet, or some type of bee in Turkey?

Question

I recently came back from a vacation in south western Turkey, around Kas And Dalaman, and i was wondering about a hornet looking insect i saw there. There were hundreds of these "hornets" flying around pools and places where people were eating food. I saw one of them grab a piece of fish off of one plate. Some of them seemed to be almost 2 inches long, and you could feel the wind when they flew past you. Any ideas?

Answer 1

More likely a wasp.  I do not have any information on the insects of Turkey but.... Many wasps are predators.  We would place chunks of raw meat on a table away from where we were picnicking and yellow jackets would swarm around the fresh meat and leave us alone.  I enjoyed watching them try to take a piece too heavy for them.  Finally they would cut off a piece and try it.  Usually it took 2 or 3 tries before they had a piece small enough to carry.  The wasps in the US that are that large are very specific predators like the tarantula wasp that stings a tarantula, lays an egg in the tarantula then buries the paralyzed spider and the egg will go through its immature life cycles feeding on the paralyzed spider until it exit as an adult.

Answer 2

Yes-it probably was a hornet. You do not say if it was yellow and black striped but hornets are simmilar in behaviour to wasps. Late in the summer when prey is becoming scarcer wasps will invade a picnic and attempt to snatch food. They particularly like cold cooked chicken! They will even land on your arm and try to seize your flesh with their mouth parts-not to sting but mistaking your flesh for food. A hornet is only a particular type of large wasp. They make a deep droning sound as they fly near you