Your mobile phone in Turkey. Can you use a Turkish Sim?

As you know, roaming is the ability for a mobile phone user to automatically make and receive voice calls, send and receive SMS or access other services when travelling abroad. Turkish mobile operators, Avea, Turkcell and Vodafone, provide roaming services to visitors coming from the UK, in partnership with British operators. Therefore, you can use your mobile phones with British sim card in Turkey. Most of mobile services such as picture messaging, text messaging, fax/data and GPRS are available with Turkish networks.

Please keep in mind that, if you pay monthly at least 24 hours before you leave, you should call your mobile operator in the UK, and they will set up your phone to be used abroad.
If you are temporarily staying in Turkey as a tourist, visitor, diplomat etc., you can buy a sim card from a Turkish mobile operator on the basis of contract, and then your British handset’s IMEI number is matched with MSISDN (mobile phone) number. In this case, your handset can only be used with matching Turkish sim card, but not any other Turkish sim card. For the matching purposes you should apply to a subscription centre (“abone kayit merkezi” in Turkish) of relevant Turkish mobile operator. (AVEA, TURKCELL, VODAFONE) 

The recent changes in the Turkish Telecommunications regulation requires all mobile phones to be registered with the Turkish Information Technologies and Communications Authority’s database with their IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers in order to use Turkish sim card. Mobile phones (IMEI numbers) not registered with the Turkish Information Technologies and Communications Authority are blocked for connection through a Turkish sim card.

If you are diplomat, student or military personnel in Turkey, or you reside in Turkey, then you can bring your British mobile handset into Turkey and can use with a Turkish sim card, after you get your mobile phone registered with the Turkish Information Technologies and Communications Authority. 

According to the Turkish customs regulation, from 1st February 2008, travellers can bring only one mobile handset into Turkey in two calendar years as one of their personal belongings, free of customs duties.
In order to get your handset registered, the following documents should be submitted to the Information Technologies and Communications Authority within one month from entrance date, through a subscription centre (“abone kayit merkezi” in Turkish) of relevant Turkish mobile operator. (AVEA, TURKCELL, VODAFONE)
• Diplomats or military personnel: Passport or ID Card,
• Students: A document from their schools indicating their student status,
• Resident foreigners in Turkey: Residence permit,
• Passport and copies of relevant pages of passport (identity and entry stamp pages),
• A petition indicating IMEI number of handset. (could be provided by subscription centre)
After the registration is completed Turkish network sim card can be used with a British handset. Please ensure that the handset must be sim free or not locked.
You can check if your handset's IMEI number is registered with the Information Technologies and Communications Authority or not through Turkish Information Technologies and Communications Authority's website at: http://imei.tk.gov.tr
Your handset's IMEI number is found on a sticker underneath the battery, or on screen by simply keying *#06# into most phones.
You can find a subscription centre (abone kayit merkezi) of relevant Turkish mobile operator through
And last but not least, please do not forget to take your charger and a european power adaptor you may need.

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