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Essential apps for

Turkey

Türkiye

TurkishTRY5 apps

Turkey has its own ecosystem. Use BiTaksi instead of Uber, and Yemeksepeti for food.

🔌

Power & Plug

TypeC / F
Voltage230V
Freq50Hz

Standard European.

💬

Basic phrases

Turkish

  • Hello
    Merhaba
    Mer-ha-ba
  • Thank you
    Teşekkürler
    Te-shek-kur-ler
  • Yes
    Evet
    Eh-vet
  • No
    Hayır
    Ha-yir
  • Please
    Lütfen
    Lut-fen

+3 more below

🎎

Tipping

Tipping (bahşiş) is customary: leave about 5-10% at restaurants if no service charge is included, round up for taxis, and leave small change for hotel staff and hammam attendants.

🚖Rideshare & Taxi

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B

BiTaksi

Turkey's main licensed taxi-hailing app — Uber has limited operation here.

Required — Uber operates only as a taxi-hailing layer here.
U

Uber

The most widely available rideshare service globally. Works in 70+ countries.

Available in Istanbul but Bitaksi is the local standard.

🗺️Navigation & Maps

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G

Google Maps

Works almost everywhere except mainland China. Offline maps are critical when roaming.

Strong for Istanbul transit.

💬Translation

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G

Google Translate

The universal default. Camera mode translates signs and menus instantly.

Camera mode for Turkish menus.

🍱Food Delivery

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Y

Yemeksepeti

Turkey's dominant food delivery (also covers Cyprus).

Dominant food delivery throughout Turkey.
Phrases

All Turkish phrases

Hello
Merhaba
Mer-ha-ba
Thank you
Teşekkürler
Te-shek-kur-ler
Yes
Evet
Eh-vet
No
Hayır
Ha-yir
Please
Lütfen
Lut-fen
How much?
Ne kadar?
Neh ka-dar
Where is the bathroom?
Tuvalet nerede?
Too-va-let neh-reh-de
Cheers
Şerefe
Sheh-reh-feh
Briefing

What to know before you go

Do

  • Remove your shoes before entering a home or mosque
  • Dress modestly when visiting mosques; women should cover their hair, shoulders, and knees
  • Accept offered tea (çay) as a gesture of hospitality and friendliness
  • Greet elders first and use both hands or your right hand when giving and receiving
  • Ask permission before photographing people, especially women
  • Avoid visiting mosques during the five daily prayer times

Don't

  • Don't blow your nose loudly or point the sole of your foot at someone
  • Don't show public affection beyond hand-holding in conservative or rural areas
  • Don't make critical jokes about Atatürk or the Turkish flag
  • Don't eat, drink, or smoke openly in public during daytime in Ramadan in conservative areas

⚠️ Common scams to know

  • The 'friendly local' who invites you to a bar, then hands you a hugely inflated bill
  • Shoeshiners who 'drop' a brush so you pick it up, then demand payment for a shine
  • Taxi drivers using broken meters, taking long routes, or swapping banknotes
  • Carpet and souvenir shops using high-pressure tactics and inflated 'special' prices
Going elsewhere?

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