Middle East - Anthony Ham [521]
Turkish postanes (post offices) are indicated by black-on-yellow ‘PTT’ signs.
Most central post offices in tourist areas offer a poste restante service.
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Telephone & Fax
Türk Telekom payphones can be found in many major public buildings and facilities, public squares and transportation termini. International calls can be made from payphones.
Türk Telekom centres have faxes, but using them requires lots of paperwork and they may insist on retaining your original! It’s easier to use your hotel fax, although you should always check the cost first.
Mobile Phones
The Turks just love cep (mobile) phones. But calling a mobile costs roughly three times the cost of calling a landline, no matter where you are. Mobile phone numbers start with a four-figure code beginning with 05. If you set up a roaming facility with your home phone provider, you should be able to connect your own mobile to the Turkcell or Telsim network.
If you buy a Turkcell (the most comprehensive network) SIM card and use it in your home mobile, the network detects and bars foreign phones within a fortnight. Removing your phone from the blacklist requires a convoluted bureaucratic process. You can pick up a basic mobile phone for about TL50, or get one thrown in with the SIM card for a little extra. New Turkcell credit is readily available at shops displaying the company’s blue-and-yellow logo, found on every street corner.
Phone Codes
The country code for Turkey is 90, followed by the local area code (minus the zero), then the seven-digit subscriber number. Local area codes are given at the start of each city or town section in this book. Note that İstanbul has two codes: 0212 for the European side and 0216 for the Asian side. The international access code (to call abroad from Turkey) is 00.
Phonecards
All Türk Telekom’s public telephones require phonecards, which can be bought at telephone centres or, for a small mark-up, at some shops. If you’re only going to make one quick call, it’s easier to look for a booth with a sign saying ‘köntörlü telefon’, where the cost of your call will be metered.
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TOILETS
Most hotels and public facilities have toilets that are Western-style, but you’ll sometimes see squat toilets. Carry toilet paper and place it in the bin, if one is provided, to avoid inadvertently flooding the premises.
Almost all public toilets require a payment of about 50 kuruş.
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VISAS
Nationals of the following countries don’t need to obtain a visa when visiting Turkey for up to three months: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland. Although nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway (one month only), Portugal, Spain, the UK and the USA need a visa, this is just a stamp in the passport that you buy on arrival at the airport or at an overland border, rather than at an embassy in advance.
Make sure you join the queue to buy your visa before joining the one for immigration. How much you pay depends on your nationality; at the time of writing, Australians and Americans paid US$20 (or €15), Canadians US$60 (or €45), and British citizens UK£10 (or €15 or US$20). You must pay in hard currency cash. The customs officers expect to be paid in one of these curriencies and may not accept Turkish lira. They also don’t give any change.
The standard visa is valid for three months and, depending on your nationality, usually allows for multiple entries. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date you enter the country.
For details of visas for other Middle Eastern countries, Click here and the Visas sections in the Directory of the other country chapters.
In theory, a Turkish visa can be renewed once after three months, but the bureaucracy and costs involved mean that it’s much easier to leave the country (usually to a Greek