Postal service: Post office is Postane in Turkish and the sign of it “PTT”. Postal services are efficient and very cheap. In Istanbul, the central post office is in Sirkeci on Mevlana Street. There is also a post office off Divanyolu in Imran Okret Street and another one is in Istiklal Street etc. Post offices are open between 09:00-12:30 and 13:30-15:00 and some at popular areas up to 17:30. But the central post office is open Monday through Saturday from 08:00 to 21:00 and on Sunday from 09:00 am to 19:00 pm.
Fax Service: Fax and telephone facilities are provided by post offices. But also faxes can be sent and calls can be made from variety of small shops throughout the city and a contour system is used to calculate the cost.
Telephone: The international country code for Turkey is 90.
Local calls: Istanbul is divided into 2 parts, the European side area code is 212, and the Asian side area code is 216. If you are in Asian Istanbul and wish to call a number in European Istanbul you must dial 0 followed by 212, and if you are in European Istanbul and wish to call a number in Asian Istanbul use 0 216. You should not use the 0 or the area code if you are calling a number on the same shore.
If you are in another city in Turkey wishing to call Istanbul, dial 0 and the area code before the number.
International calls: Cheap rate for international calls is applicable between 20:00 – 08:00
All international calls: To make an international call dial “00” followed by the international country code: “00” + “country code” + “telephone number” (minus the area code’s first “0”)
It is easy and reasonable to make calls from a public telephone booth (Turk Telekom) using a phone card which can be purchased from either post offices or shops. Public telephone booths are mostly in public squares, train and ferry stations. If you are only making a local phone call, it is the best and the easiest to look for a booth with a sign reading Konturlu Telefon (in English metered telephone), after your phone call, the phone’s owner will read the phone meter and charge you accordingly.
If you like to use your home mobile phone in Istanbul, most mobiles can connect with Turkcell, Vodafone or Avea networks. If you like to buy a prepaid sim card when you are in Istanbul, you should choose one of these three major networks. You should show your passport to the dealer and fill out an application form to buy a sim card and to activate it.
International Telephone codes: Australia: 61 – Austria: 43 – Belgium: 32 – Denmark: 45 – Finland: 358 – France: 33 – Germany: 49 – UK: 44 – Greece: 30 – Holland: 31 or 1 - Ireland: 353 – Israel: 972 – Italy: 39 – Japan: 81 – Norway: 47 – Russia: 7 – Spain: 34 – Sweden: 46 – Switzerland: 41 – Turkey: 90- Ukraine: 380 – USA: 1 – Yugoslavia: 381
Emergency Numbers: Ambulance: 155, Fire: 110, Police: 155, Tourist police: 0212 527 45 03