The International Dialing Code for Türkiye is +90.
In Türkiye, the government has tight control on mobile phones (or tablets, or anything that connects to the cellular network). If you arrive with your own mobile device (phone, tablet – anything with a SIM card inserted), and if you’re on roaming, there is no problem.
Roaming gives you country-wide access through agreements between your own carrier and the Turkish major carriers. However, if you want to put a Turkish SIM card in your device (and benefit from cheap network costs), then there are limits. Your first SIM will be tied to the entry date in your passport, providing a maximum of 90 days.
If you get an IKAMET (residence card), although your next SIM card will be valid through to the end of your Temporary Residency, your device will stop working at the 120 day point, unless the import tax on the device is paid. The Turkish carrier reports the IMEI number of the device to the Turkish Customs and they meticulously track this.
The only choice is to buy a Turkish device (which has had the tax paid) or to pay the import tax on your phone. This is a fixed price, and connected with your device, your IMEI number – currently 6091TL (this went up from 2700TL to 6091TL from 2022 to 2023). If you pay the tax and drop your phone in the water or lose it, you will have to do it again.
A popular alternative is to buy a MIFI device sold in the country (tax paid) and connect your phone/tablet to that. As long as you carry the device with you, you have cellular Internet and calling through Messenger, WhatsApp or other VOIP services. Unfortunately, this does not give you a “callable” telephone number or SMS – and this is vital to receiving information about packages if you have ordered parts, spares or any equipment.
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