How to Call Turkey

To call Turkey from the US, dial 011 + 90 + area code + local number. Example: 011-90-212-XXX-XXXX reaches Istanbul’s European side. Istanbul’s Asian side uses 011-90-216-XXX-XXXX. Ankara is 011-90-312-XXX-XXXX. Turkish mobile numbers follow the same pattern: 011-90-5XX-XXX-XXXX.

The country is also officially known as Türkiye — the name Turkey adopted at the United Nations in 2022 — though both spellings are widely understood. The dialing code (+90) and country code (TR) did not change.

This guide covers the full dialing sequence, Turkish area codes by city, mobile prefixes, time zone, costs, and what business callers need to know about US–Türkiye communication.

How to dial Turkey from the US

Follow these five steps every time:

1. Dial 011 — the US international exit code. Every call leaving the US starts here. On a US mobile you can long-press 0 to enter + as a shortcut.
2. Dial 90 — Turkey’s country code, assigned by the ITU.
3. Dial the 3-digit area code — without its leading 0. Turkish numbers are written nationally with a leading 0 (e.g. 0212 for Istanbul European side). Drop that 0 when calling from abroad.
4. Dial the 7-digit local subscriber number exactly as given.
5. Press call / send.

The full pattern is 011 90 <3-digit area code> <7-digit local number>. From a US mobile, +90 <3-digit area code> <7-digit local number> works identically.

Quick example — Istanbul European side: National format: 0212 123 4567 From the US: 011 90 212 123 4567 E.164: +90 212 123 4567

Turkish area codes by city

Turkey uses 3-digit area codes. All national numbers are written with a leading 0 — drop it for international dialing.

City / Region	Area Code	From the US
Istanbul — European side	212	011 90 212 XXX XXXX
Istanbul — Asian side	216	011 90 216 XXX XXXX
Ankara	312	011 90 312 XXX XXXX
İzmir	232	011 90 232 XXX XXXX
Bursa	224	011 90 224 XXX XXXX
Adana	322	011 90 322 XXX XXXX
Antalya	242	011 90 242 XXX XXXX
Gaziantep	342	011 90 342 XXX XXXX
Konya	332	011 90 332 XXX XXXX

Istanbul deserves special attention: it is the only major city in the world that spans two continents. Its European districts (Beyoğlu, Şişli, Beşiktaş) use 212; its Asian districts (Kadıköy, Üsküdar, Pendik) use 216. If a contact gives you an Istanbul number, both area codes are valid — check which side of the Bosphorus they are on.

Turkish mobile numbers start with 5 and are not tied to a geographic area. Dial them the same way: 011 90 5XX XXX XXXX.

How Turkish phone numbering works

Turkey’s telecommunications regulator is the BTK (Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu — Information and Communication Technologies Authority). BTK administers the national numbering plan and assigns area codes to all 81 provinces.

A complete Turkish subscriber number in E.164 format is always 12 digits including the country code: +90 + 3-digit area/mobile prefix + 7-digit subscriber number.

In national format, numbers are written with a leading 0: (0XXX) XXX XXXX. That leading 0 is the Turkish trunk prefix — it is used only for domestic calls and must be dropped when dialing from outside Turkey.

Turkey has three licensed mobile network operators:

• Turkcell — market leader; mobile prefixes 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537
• Vodafone Turkey — prefixes 540, 541, 542, 543, 544, 545, 546
• Türk Telekom (mobile) — prefixes 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 559

All three use the same 5XX dialing pattern from the US: 011 90 5XX XXX XXXX. You cannot tell the operator from the first digit alone — you need the full 3-digit mobile prefix.

Time zone: TRT (Turkey Time)

Turkey operates on a single time zone: TRT (Turkey Time), UTC+3, year-round.

Turkey permanently abolished daylight saving time on 8 September 2016. The country stays on UTC+3 regardless of season. This means the gap between Turkey and the US does not change on Turkey’s side — only on the US side, when the US shifts its clocks in March and November.

US Time Zone	Winter gap (ET/CST/MT/PT)	Summer gap (EDT/CDT/MDT/PDT)
Eastern	8 hours ahead	7 hours ahead
Central	9 hours ahead	8 hours ahead
Mountain	10 hours ahead	9 hours ahead
Pacific	11 hours ahead	10 hours ahead

For business calls: 8–10 AM ET is the optimal window, landing at 3–5 PM in Turkey. Turkish business hours typically run 09:00–18:00 local. Calling after 2 PM ET in winter (10 PM Turkey) or 3 PM ET in summer (10 PM Turkey) will miss office hours.

Calling costs: carrier vs VoIP

Costs for US-to-Turkey calls fall into three tiers:

Per-minute carrier rates (no plan): roughly $0.25–$0.50 per minute to Turkish landlines and mobiles. T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T publish current rates in their international calling pages — but these are the most expensive option for regular use.

Carrier international add-on packages: $5–$15 per month reduces per-minute rates to approximately $0.10–$0.20 for Turkey. Worthwhile only if you call Turkey often enough to exceed the plan cost.

VoIP per-minute rates: consistently the lowest per-minute cost. DialPhone’s business phone routes international calls over the most efficient path and charges a flat per-minute rate to Turkey below typical carrier add-on pricing, with no monthly minimum. See DialPhone pricing for current Turkey rates.

For occasional personal calls — under 20 minutes per month — the per-minute carrier rate is fine. For sales teams, logistics coordinators, or anyone in regular contact with Turkish suppliers or customers, a VoIP plan pays for itself within the first few calls. A free trial is the fastest way to compare against your current carrier cost.

Mobile vs landline — and WhatsApp’s role in Turkey

Turkey’s mobile penetration is high: the majority of Turkish residents primarily use mobile numbers, not landlines, for personal and business communication. When a Turkish contact shares a number starting with 05, that is a mobile. When it starts with 0212 or 0312, that is a landline.

WhatsApp is the dominant communication channel in Turkey. The vast majority of Turkish smartphone users rely on WhatsApp for both personal and business messaging and voice calls. If you have an existing relationship with a Turkish counterpart, a WhatsApp call (device-to-device, over internet) costs nothing beyond data and often produces better call quality than a PSTN international call, particularly in areas with strong LTE coverage.

For first-contact outreach or calling Turkish numbers without a prior relationship — wholesalers, logistics partners, hotel or venue contacts, Turkish government offices — a standard international call via carrier or VoIP is the reliable option.

Viber also has meaningful penetration in Turkey and is commonly used as a secondary messaging app. FaceTime is available but limited to Apple device users.

SMS and business calling: US–Türkiye trade context

Turkey is a significant US trading partner. Key sectors driving US–Turkey calling volume include:

• Tourism and hospitality — Turkey receives millions of international visitors; US travel agencies and tour operators regularly coordinate with Istanbul, Antalya, and Cappadocia accommodation and logistics providers.
• Textiles and apparel — Turkey is a major textile exporter; US buyers and sourcing teams communicate directly with factories in Istanbul, Bursa, and İzmir.
• Automotive — Ford and Renault both manufacture in Turkey (Ford Otosan in Kocaeli, Renault in Bursa); US supply chain and procurement teams communicate across time zones.
• Agriculture and food — Turkey exports hazelnuts, dried fruits, and olive oil to the US market; trade calls flow between US importers and Turkish exporters.

For businesses with regular Turkey calling, outbound STIR/SHAKEN attestation matters. Calls from DialPhone numbers carry full-A attestation where the US carrier chain supports it, which improves answer rates compared to unattested VoIP calls — relevant when cold-calling Turkish business contacts from US numbers. See the STIR/SHAKEN explainer for how attestation works.

If your team regularly receives inbound calls from Turkey, DialPhone’s AI Receptionist handles after-hours calls automatically — useful when Turkish counterparts call late in the day their time (early morning US Eastern), outside your staffed hours. For porting an existing business number to DialPhone, see the number porting guide.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is Turkey's country code? +

Turkey's country code is +90. From a US landline or mobile, you reach it by dialing 011 first — the US international exit code — making the full prefix 011 90. On a US mobile that supports E.164 dialing, you can substitute + for 011, giving you +90 followed by the Turkish area code and local number.

Is Turkey the same as Türkiye? +

Yes. Türkiye is the official name the country adopted at the United Nations in 2022. The ISO 3166 country code (TR) and telephone country code (+90) did not change. Both spellings refer to the same country. In everyday English, 'Turkey' remains widely used; you will see both names in business and travel contexts.

How do I call a Turkish mobile number from the US? +

Turkish mobile numbers begin with 5 in the national format — for example 0532 XXX XXXX. Drop the leading 0 and dial 011 90 532 XXX XXXX from a US landline, or +90 532 XXX XXXX from a US mobile. Turkish mobiles are 10 digits after the country code (3-digit mobile prefix + 7-digit subscriber number).

What is the time difference between the US and Turkey? +

Turkey runs on TRT (Turkey Time), which is UTC+3 year-round with no daylight saving time — Turkey permanently abolished DST in 2016.

From the US Eastern time zone: Turkey is 8 hours ahead in winter (November–March) and 7 hours ahead in summer (March–November, when the US observes EDT). From US Pacific time: 11 hours ahead in winter, 10 hours in summer. A good business calling window from ET is 8–10 AM ET, which lands between 3–6 PM in Turkey.

What area code is Istanbul? +

Istanbul has two area codes because the city spans two continents. The European side uses 212 (full dial from US: 011 90 212 XXX XXXX). The Asian side — including districts like Kadıköy and Üsküdar — uses 216 (011 90 216 XXX XXXX). When someone in Istanbul gives you a number starting with 0212 or 0216, drop that leading 0 for international dialing.

How much does it cost to call Turkey from the US? +

Per-minute carrier rates without an international plan range roughly $0.25–$0.50 per minute to Turkish landlines and mobiles. Major US carrier international add-on packages ($5–$15 per month) bring that down to $0.10–$0.20 per minute. VoIP providers like DialPhone charge a flat per-minute rate below carrier add-on pricing with no monthly minimum — see DialPhone pricing for current Turkey rates.

Does Turkey have daylight saving time? +

No. Turkey permanently stopped observing daylight saving time on 8 September 2016. The country stays on UTC+3 (Turkey Time, TRT) year-round. This means the hour gap between the US and Turkey changes twice a year when the US shifts clocks — not when Turkey does.

Can I call Turkey for free from the US? +

Free device-to-device calls are possible over WhatsApp, Viber, or FaceTime as long as both parties have internet access. WhatsApp is particularly dominant in Turkey, with the vast majority of smartphone users relying on it for daily messaging and voice calls.

For calling Turkish landlines or mobiles that do not have a data connection, free is not an option — you will pay carrier or VoIP rates. VoIP is the most cost-effective paid method.

Related guides

• How to call the UK from the US — sibling guide for UK dialing
• Number porting guide — move your existing business number to DialPhone
• STIR/SHAKEN explained — call attestation and answer rates
• DialPhone business phone
• DialPhone AI Receptionist
• DialPhone pricing
• Free trial