How to drive in Turkey?

Basic rules of the roads and driving requirements.

GENERAL TIPS AND ROAD INFORMATION

Traffic travels on the right and overtakes on the left. Caution in rural areas is advised due to farm carts and animals in the road. Turkey has an extensive network of well-maintained roads linking its towns, cities and popular tourist areas. There has been, and still is, an investment by the Turkish government to improve the nation's roads. There is a small number of vehicles on the road in Turkey compared to international standards.
Road signs conform to the International Protocol on Road Signs and archaeological and historic sites are indicated by yellow signs.

ROADWAYS AND MOTORWAYS

Some highways have only two lanes which can be daunting and many of the roads have pot holes. Some of the larger commercial highways, including the one connecting Ankara to Istanbul, are broader and offer better road conditions, however, the population of trucks may slow down traffic. Although driving in the crowded cities may be frustrating there are quieter highways which provide a more pleasant driving experience.

RIGHT OF WAY

Right of way always belongs to traffic coming from the right.

PARKING

There is no metered parking in Turkey. Parking officials monitor the streets and collect fees for on street parking. Most cities have garages and public parking lots.
Park Yapilmaz means No parking and you may not park within 25 meters of danger signs.

FINES

Police are empowered to collect fines on the spot and the legal blood alcohol limit is 50 mg.

FUEL

Many fuel stations along main highways are open 24 hours; others are open from 6am to 10pm.  You are advised to fill up whenever possible as fuel stations are less numerous compared to other countries. Credit cards are generally accepted. Unleaded petrol is called kursunsuz benzin. Regular unleaded petrol has an octane rating of 91; super is 95 or 96 and Diesel is called mazot. LPG is increasingly more popular and is available at many stations.

SPEED LIMITS

Urban areas - 40 kph (24 mph)
Rural areas - 90 kph (56 mph)
Expressways - 130 kph (78 mph)

TOLLS

Tolls are charged between Edirne and Istanbul, Istanbul and Izmit, Izmit and Gebze, Tsarsus and Pozanti, Ankara and Gerede, and Izmir and Çesme. In the direction Europe to Asia, tolls are charged on the Bosphorus and Faith Sultan Mehmet bridges

DRIVING REQUIREMENTS

The minimum legal age to drive in Turkey is 18.

DRIVER’S LICENSE

If driving to Turkey, you will need your passport, International Driving License, registration documents and international green card /insurance card, clearly marked with the TR sign.

DOCUMENTATION

Vehicle registration, insurance policy, and international driving license in your car must be present in the car at all times, especially in case of an accident.

INSURANCE

Fire and third party liability insurance is mandatory.

REQUIREMENTS

First aid kit and reflective warning triangle are mandatory. Fire extinguisher, locking gas cap, tow rope or cable, jumper cables and snow chains are optional.

SEAT BELTS

Seat belts are compulsory for front and rear seat passengers.

HEADLIGHTS

Headlights should always be used when driving.

HORN

Use of the horn is illegal except in cases of immediate and extreme danger.

CHILDREN

Children should ride in the back seat with seat belts on and/or in a child safety seat.

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Police 155
Ambulance 112
Fire 110
Tourism Info 170

Sources: All About Turkey / Discover Turkey / Travel Turkey / Bug / Autoeurope / Driving in Turkey / Turkey Central / U.S. Department of State