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ocknock

10-08-2009, 20:41

Trip to Turkey from 18 July to 2 August 2009.

All three GSM providers (Turkcell, Vodafone, Avea) have booths in the international arrivals hall.

I chose Vodafone since I happened across the booth first.
55 Turkish Lira (~37 USD, 27 EUR) for SIM card (20 units included) plus 100 units. Activation took 20 minutes.
Recharge cards for all GSM providers are available nearly everywhere.

TARIFF
I didn't take good notes on the tariff charges, so below is from memory.

Domestic calls to non-Vodafone numbers were around 2-3 units/minute.
International calls to USA were around 6 units/minute.
International SMS cost 2 units/minute.

COVERAGE
Vodafone worked fine in larger towns, however in Eastern Turkey, especially around the Kackar mountains north of Erzurum, there was no Vodafone coverage. Many locals had mobiles in this area and all used Turkcell.

IMEI REGISTRATION
Vodafone handled this as part of my SIM card purchase. I was in Turkey for just over 2 weeks and my phone worked the entire time, however I'm not sure if it was due to the registration being processed quickly or not. The sales person told me that sometimes registration can take up to 3 weeks.

Richard10002

05-10-2009, 00:13

Thread on Yachting & Boating World home | sailing news, boats for sale, sailing forums, marine companies (http://www.ybw.com) , (boating forum), talks about dongles and data in Turkey - not sure if it's beem covered here previously.

vodafone dongle inTurkey - Yachting and Boating World Forums (http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215608)

First post includes the following:

"Well just got one and trying it out now.
Not at the boat, at home at the moment, just five minutes away from Marina so signal strength should be comparable.
(got full signal)

100 TL for the dongle (including 1Gig), 20 TL for the PAYG sim card, plus I added an extra 1 Gig at 30 TL.

Took 20 minutes to arrange at Vodafone shop in Istanbul airport on my way here (Yalikavak, Bodrum) They only needed to take a photocopy of my passport.

There is also a Turkcell version called VNN or similar here, looked into that last trip, but they wanted local bank reference and proof of this, that and the other etc so not very visitor/tourist friendly."

Hope this helps.

Richard

DaveRo

09-10-2009, 23:10

I'll probably be in Turkey for 8 to 10 weeks next year, and require GPRS in small volumes - 1Mb/day is enough.

Vodafone (http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/turchia/voda.html) charge 750units/month, 33€, for unlimited GPRS * - this looks OK

Turkcell (http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/turchia/turk.html) charge ~ 1€/Mb * - or there is the offer mentioned by Demonboy (http://www.ybw.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2265848&postcount=5) in the YBW thread Richard linked to: 4Gb for 290 credits (~25€)

I suspect that my main problem is IMEI registration.
IMEI REGISTRATION
Vodafone handled this as part of my SIM card purchase...
What documentation did they want to see? The regulations (http://www.tk.gov.tr/eng/duzenmaineng2.html) mention invoices to prove that you bought it. I have several phones but they were all given to me or off ebay - I have no invoices or proof of ownership.

I suppose I could use each one until it stopped working - but I'd rather not get them on the blacklist.

I suppose also that Vodafone might be more willing to do IMEI registration for foreign phones than Turkcell. Anybody have any experience of that with Turkcell? And I'd be arriving by boat not air, so it'd probably be Marmaris or Bodrum not Istanbul airport.

Any ideas on the cheapest way to acquire a whitelisted Turkish phone with GPRS and Bluetooth? AFAICS the whitelisting applies to use in Turkey, not use with a particular operator - can anyone confirm that?

Dave

(* Prices from this site - can't find them in English on the operators' websites.)

Ties Brants

09-10-2009, 23:32

When I was in Turkey in May they didn't ask for an Invoice when I registered my phone with Turkcell. So actually don't think that will be a problem.

DaveRo

11-10-2009, 11:27

A couple of websites I found that deal with the theory of IMEI registration:

This one is a Q&A in English:

Avea: Unregistered devices (http://www.avea.com.tr/en/sta/bireysel/yasal_uyari.shtml?pagemenu=servisler.bilgi.yasaluy ari)

This government site has an English bit about "Temporarily Staying In The Country" which implies that a registered phone can only be used with a single number issued by a Turkish operator. (This seems to be different from an 'Individual Import')

imei.tk.gov.tr (http://imei.tk.gov.tr)

It also allows you to check whether an IMEI is registered (IMEI Sorgulama). The link above that seems to check whether an IMEI matches a MSISDN.

All that is theory of course; the practice may be quite different ;-)

DaveRo

13-10-2009, 18:38

I emailed Turkcell and got this prompt reply:

When you come to Turkey, with your passport you can buy prepaid turkcell line from Turkcell extra shops.

You can also connect to the internet with this simcard by gprs.

If you connect to the internet , it costs 2 credit for every 35 kb
And also we have internet packages, they are cheaper;

Weekly internet package - 50 mb - 20 credit
Montly internet package - 100 mb - 65 credit
Montly internet package - 1 gb - 210 credit
Montly internet package - 4 gb - 290 credit
Montly internet package - 6 gb - 440 credit
Montly internet package - 8 gb - 510 credit

After you buy prepaid line you should choose one of them. You can take help about activation from Turkcell extra shop or Turkcell customer care. Our telephone number is; 4440535

About your mobile phone's imei registration; when you buy prepaid line in Turkcell extra shop , they can help you about registration. They need your passport and your Turkcell line's agreement.

I also found this webpage about Vodafone:
Vodafone Mü?teri Hizmetleri - Mobil ?nternet Kendini A?an Tarife (http://www.vodafone.com.tr/YardimDestek/sss.mobil-internet-kendiniasan-1-10.php)

Click on Kendini Aşan Tarife opsiyonunu almam durumunda nasıl ücretlendirilirim? for the mobile internet tariff.

It seems to be a progressive charge: for prepaid:
- 5TL for the first 5MB
- 5TL for the next 15MB
- 5TL for the next 30MB ... etc

(At least, that's how I interpret it, but I may have missed something.)

SIMCollector

14-10-2009, 02:40

I came back from Turkey a couple of months ago and got 4 Pre-paid turk cell sims. Two were registered to me and the other two appear to be registered to people I have never heard of before. Despite the laws of Turkey there appears to be ways to have many sims if you want it.

When you have on-line access to your turk cell sim account it will show you your registered name and the life span of the sim.

The problem I have now is getting small top-ups for the sims to keep them alive. I dont have all the details at hand right now, but when you are in turkey it is possible to buy very small top-ups in the Turkcell extra shops (and others). Turkcell extra shops are the best to go in as they are less likely to rip you off - although it can happen if your not careful. The Turkish Kontor system for credits really got me to begin with !

If you have a turkish bank account t is possible to top-up your pre-paid sim from there. I have also found the following website which presently allows top-ups using a credit card to Vodaphone sims :

www dot mobytop dot com/home.php

The above website also states you can top up some other interesting country's sims, including, laos, indonesia and vietnam - but it does not cover all operators in all countries mentioned.

While I was in Turkey I was also oferred the opportunity to get a post-paid turkcell account. To have one of these you need a bank account there and a turkish address. Its not difficult to get a bank account there, but if you dont want to do that, there maybe some shop owners (this time not Turk Cell extra shops, smaller independents) who will make arrange ments for you to get a post paid sim. How ongoing payment for this would work I dont know, but I was certainly offered this. It may well have turned out to be a rip-off, I dont know. Still if you go to one of the state owned banks, opening an account is straight forward, see :

www dot tbb dot org dot tr/eng/Banka_ve_Sektor_Bilgileri/Banka_Listesi.aspx

www dot turkeytravelplanner dot com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3984

and heres some info I have on mobiles :

www dot bodrumpropertyforsale dot co dot uk/FAQ_Turkey_Property.htm
MOBILE PHONES NEED TO BE REGISTERED FOR USE WITH SIM CARDS BOUGHT IN TURKEY
Turkish and foreign visitors are entitled to bring one mobile phone into Turkey within one calendar year for use during their stay in Turkey. A personal mobile phone brought in to Turkey in this manner is exempt from tax and duty.
It is necessary to register the mobile phones in order to use them with SIM card bought from a Turkish network operator. (In order to use such a mobile phone with a SIM card bought in Turkey from a Turkish network operator, the mobile phone number assigned to the SIM card needs to be correlated with the IMEI number of the mobile phone. The handset can only be registered with one line. Phones not registered in this way will be blocked and unable to receive or make calls. There is no charge levied for this registration.)
No customs documents are required for the registration of mobile phones.
Mobile phones to be brought into Turkey are to be registered with the Telecommunication Institution or with the mobile phone shops of Turkish Network Operators (Avea, Turkcell or Telsim).
Documents required for the registration of mobile phones are:
* TR Citizenship Number or Passport number
* Passport (Identity details indicated on the passport)
* Copies of all Turkish entry/exit stamps in the passport
No more than one mobile phone per person can be registered in one calendar year.

So to summarise, my own experience is far from what the rules state.

SIMCollector

14-10-2009, 02:55

I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask, but what would be the best way/place to ask if anyone can help/advise where/how to get top-ups for TurkCell when outside of Turkey ?

prion

14-10-2009, 06:48

I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask, but what would be the best way/place to ask if anyone can help/advise where/how to get top-ups for TurkCell when outside of Turkey ?

Have a look at ebay:
Turkcell gsm 100 credits kontor new - eBay (item 170391355848 end time Nov-05-09 06:08:22 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Turkcell-gsm-100-credits-kontor-new_W0QQitemZ170391355848QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item27ac1dc1c8)

SIMCollector

17-10-2009, 02:22

Have a look at ebay:
Turkcell gsm 100 credits kontor new - eBay (item 170391355848 end time Nov-05-09 06:08:22 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/Turkcell-gsm-100-credits-kontor-new_W0QQitemZ170391355848QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item27ac1dc1c8)

Thanks for the feedback - 100 kontor is a bit hight for me as I'm just looking to keep the sim alive - but you pointed me in the right direction. Found this ebay store which has top-ups for Turkcell, Vodafone and Avea :

http://stores . ebay . com/Taxiem

Its crazy really as online Turkcell has the facility to accept top-ups with a credit card but will only accept Credit Cards issued in Turkey (maybe not such a bad ide ato avoid fraud and chargebacks). But they could accept alternative forms of payment. Maybe even one of the proper Turckell stores could do a cardholder not present transaction. Unfortunately, there are no top-up cards for smaller amounts - I think less than 50 Kontor, and I think these are hard to find. I had to get a 100 Kontor card, which was around 10GBP (16USD/11EUR) whilst I was there.

I guess that if anything goes wrong with the transaction, if paying with paypal, as a buyer your in a stronger position, in the event that they keep the money and I get no top-up ?

Seems like a good opportunity in any country that makes it hard for non residents outside of the country to get top-ups to offer a top-up service.

SIMCollector

17-10-2009, 03:09

With regards registration of your phone's IMEI, I was told it was not necessary and the government website stated above I believe states that for tourists it is not necessary. I was told that if your IMEI is not registered then the SIM would be disconnected after 1 month. But this doesn't seem to have been the case for me. But at the moment, I'm not really sure whether some of my SIMs are registered or not and I don't particularly want to plug my details into the Government website in case it triggers disconnection !

DaveRo

17-10-2009, 07:38

With regards registration of your phone's IMEI, I was told it was not necessary and the government website stated above I believe states that for tourists it is not necessary. That's not how I interpret the government website.

Here (http://imei.tk.gov.tr/node/46) is the relevant page in English. I expect it's clearer in Turkish ;-)
I was told that if your IMEI is not registered then the SIM would be disconnected after 1 month. But this doesn't seem to have been the case for me. But at the moment, I'm not really sure whether some of my SIMs are registered or not and I don't particularly want to plug my details into the Government website in case it triggers disconnection !I can understand that!

I assume all this also applies to dongles, BTW. Has anybody tried to register a foreign dongle - as opposed to buying a Turkish one and having it registered by the seller?

SIMCollector

17-10-2009, 18:04

That's not how I interpret the government website.

Here (http://imei.tk.gov.tr/node/46) is the relevant page in English. I expect it's clearer in Turkish ;-)
I can understand that!

I assume all this also applies to dongles, BTW. Has anybody tried to register a foreign dongle - as opposed to buying a Turkish one and having it registered by the seller?

I agree with you, the translation is not so good. I was reading this page, very early in the morning and for some reason thought registration may not be necessary.

Individual Import Applications | MCKS&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp (http://imei.tk.gov.tr/node/45)

If your only staying for a short time then it may well not be necessary to register your IMEI. I was charged 5 Lira for the registration at a Turkcell extra store. But you get a receipt and an SMS (in Turkish) is sent to your phone, confirming registration, I beleive. Somewhere I have a copy of the actual document I completed as I requested this. But I dont think this is normally given.

On the lower part of the page in the URL above this is stated, which may refer to dongles in Turkey :

"With the web service application, records taken by subscription centers of GSM operators (Turkcell, Vodafone, Avea) are synchronously entered to the system. By this way, device can be recorded as soon as application is made. However, if any problem is identified while Telecommunications Authority is checking the documents received by GSM operators’ subscription centers the related device will be deleted from the record list. For this reason, documents given to subscription centers must be complete.

If the documents related with device and electronic identity information of device are not problematic, device information is entered to the system and IMEI number of the device is recorded. "

HTH

And if anyone know an online way of topping up a Turkcell SIM, I'd very very interested to hear !

nomad

12-11-2009, 18:22

Here's my experience with Turkcell using GPRS/EDGE Internet for 1,5 month (http://www.nomadic-one.com/travel/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=2) - gone through most of their revenue tricks.

:eek:

DaveRo

07-04-2011, 17:52

Does anyone have any up-to-date info about prepaid data in Turkey?

Maxy

13-04-2011, 16:02

Maxy

13-04-2011, 16:05

One item of caution, I use both Vodaphone and Turkcell data here in Marmaris. The Vodaphone is only Edge where Turkcell is 3G and definately has the best coverage. Even 3G in small villages.

DaveRo

18-04-2011, 20:48

The Turkcell prepaid (Hazir Kart) data packages don't seem to have changed much:

http://www.turkcell.com.tr/bireysel/servisler/internet/internetpaketleri/hazirkart/

DaveRo

23-05-2011, 21:46

I just tried to buy a Turkcell prepaid card and register my phone today at a Turkcell shop. They copied my passport and entered the IMEI number into the computer.

All seemed to be going fine except that the SIM didn't work in the phone. This surprised the people in the shop. After much discussion and phoning their managers they declared that the phone was blocked and that it would start working after 2 days and then stop working after 10 days. This is contrary to what I expected which was that it would work immediately but stop working after 10 days unless it was registered: that was why I was registering it! I aborted the sale - a SIM that doesn't work, might work in a few days, but will then stop working after 10 days is not much use.

But I now don't know how the system is supposed to work. I'm in Turkey for 3 months. My experience suggests that you need to register your foreign phone just to use a prepaid SIM and that you can't use it for more than 10 days even if you do.

Can anybody shine any light on this?

DaveRo

25-05-2011, 10:19

I went back to the Turkcall shop the next day and it turned out to be a Turkish-English mistranslation.

I still don't know why the phone was found to be blocked ('closed' was the word they used) when the Turkcell SIM was first put into it. Maybe that is normal now (though the shop seemed surprised). Maybe it's because I had been using it for a week for roaming. Others have reported in the past that their phones work initially then stop working after a few weeks.

What the shop people meant was that it would take a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 10 to register the SIM+IMEI combination and unblock the phone. On the second visit to the shop the girl spoke better English: she said "it will probably work tomorrow unless there's a problem with that phone". And it did - so it's probably an overnight data transfer between Turkcell and the computers that check the IMEIs.

The process - buying the SIM (Hazir Kart SIMPlus) and registering the phone - cost me 43TL.

When it worked I dialed 8090 to change the language to English. NOTE you also need to do this AND listen to to the message right to the end or you won't get the 20TL credit that comes with the SIM.

I subscribed to 250Mb of data in a month by sending EKO to 2222. (There are other options on the Turkcell website but all in Turkish I think.) I got an confirmatory SMS.

The APN is 'internet' - no usernames or proxies. The phone seems to have acquired a set of APNs automatically.

Sending 'KALAN INTERNET' to 2222 gives me a data balance and expiry date.

So far so good. I don't yet know how to get a TL credit balance by SMS or whether the EKO option renews automatically.

DaveRo

21-07-2011, 09:32

Turkcell Hazir Kart:

To get a money balance: *123#

The EKO internet package does renew automatically.

Expiry: if you do *166*5# you get two dates - one 180 days from the date of the last credit, and one 270 days after. I believe that the SIM expires if not credited before that later date.

I don't know whether it is possible to apply credit from outside Turkey, e.g. by using *122*nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn# (voucher number).

timmfive

30-05-2012, 16:12

Hi all,

This seems to be the main Turkey thread, so I will post here.

My wife and I have two unlocked Android phones.

Last year I went to Turkcell, bought a SIM and registered, but it took forever to register and work.
I needed the phone urgently, so I went to an Avea shop and they sold me a SIM that worked.
Eventually we were able to use the Turkcell in her phones. Happy days.

We were out of the country for 6 months, and didn't top up the SIMs so they were understandable both expired when we returned a few weeks ago.

However, at the Istanbul airport, I was told by Avea and Turkcell desks that my phone showed up as registered last year, therefore I wouldn't be able to use it this year!?!?!

Luckily? my wife's phone wasn't registered, so we were able to register it with Turkcell and get a SIM for it. (SIM doesn't work in my phone... as though my phone is banned/blocked).

So has something changed in the Turkish phone registration laws?
Why was I being told I would "never be able to use my phone in Turkey again as I registered it last year"...

It seems like DaveRo managed. I might go into the a different shop and see what they say.

A bit confused / concerned. Not having a phone is a bummer.

Effendi

01-06-2012, 07:37

That's quite strange. AFAIK you had to register your phone in order for them not to block it after some weeks, not the opposite. Probably something went wrong with your last year's registration.

DaveRo

05-06-2012, 20:55

Maybe once you have registered an IMEI against a SIM you cannot register it agaInst a different SIM..

I'm in Turkey now. I have updated the page on my sailing blog:
Mobile internet access in Turkey (http://yachtvigdis.wordpress.com/mobile-internet-access-in-turkey)

I have the opposite problem: can I re-register a SIM against a new phone? I keep the SIMs alive with topups from the UK but I'd like to use them in a faster phone.

timmfive

07-06-2012, 17:58

Cheers for the reply DaveRo

You might be right... maybe the SIM and foreign IMEI are linked, and once the SIM dies after not being topped up after 6 months, then it is difficult to get the foreign IMEI back on the grid again... :-(

I haven't had time (or inclination!) to chase it up further, but thought I would raise the issue here on the forum in case anyone else has the issue or finds a solution.

Let us know how you get on with moving your SIM to your new phone... or maybe it might be easier just getting a new SIM registered to your new phone...