Whether you’re looking to speak to colleagues, friends, family, or that witty Turkish tour guide you lost touch with, calling Turkey isn’t quite as simple as calling your fellow inhabitants of the US. But don’t worry — it’s not too complicated when you know the right steps.
And lucky for you, we’ve put together an article with everything you need to know for an international call to Turkey. This includes an easy reference for calling Turkey from the US, a list of area codes you might find handy, a trick for factoring in time differences, and a breakdown of the costs. Plus, everyone’s favorite part: how you can lower your calling expenses.
How to call Turkey from the US in 4 easy steps
Here’s how to call Turkey from the USA in four simple steps:
1. Key in the exit code (+ or 011)
Almost every country globally has an exit code (also known as an international access code) for international calling. For calling from a landline number, enter 011 as the exit code. Dialing this international code ensures your call routes to the appropriate network outside of the United States.
If you’re on a cellphone or using OpenPhone, dialing the plus symbol (+) instead of the US exit code works too — no need to key in a three-digit number.
2. Dial the Turkey country code (90)
Dialing the country code of Turkey tells your mobile phone carrier or landline carrier that you want to reach Turkey. Again, this helps with routing your call across. Enter the code 90 without any pound symbols or asterisks, and then move to the next step.
Note: After keying in the Turkey country code, the number you’re dialing should appear as +90 or 01190.
3. Add in the area code
Like the US, Turkey uses area codes to differentiate between regions and provinces. All of them are three digits, so they’re easy to memorize and key in. Below is a table showing Turkey area codes and the location they represent.
LocationArea CodeLocationArea Code Adana322Kastamonu366 Adiyaman416Kilis348 Afyon272Kocaeli262 Ankara312Konya332 Antalya242Malatya422 Balikesir266Manisa236 Batman488Mardin482 Burdur248Mus436 Bursa224Mugla252 Corum364Nevsehir384 Cankiri376Nigde388 Denizli258Ordu452 Duzce380Osmaniye328 Edirne284Rize464 Elazig424Sankarya264 Erzurum442Samsun362 Gaziantep342Sanliurfa414 Giresun454Siirt484 Hakkari438Sivas346 Hatay326Sirnak486 Igdir476Tekirdag282 Isparta246Tokat356 Istanbul (Europe)212Trabzon462 Istanbul (Asia)216Tunceli428 Izmir232Usak276 Kahramanmaras344Van432 Karabuk370Yalova226 Karaman338Yozgat354 Kars474Zoguldak372
4. Dial the remaining digits of the phone number
You’ve almost made it! The last step for calling Turkey is to enter the local number supplied by your contact. This number is seven digits long and should be punched after the 3-digit area code.
For example, if you’re calling someone in Izmir, Turkey, whose 7-digit mobile number is 4413955, the full number you need to dial would look like this: +902324413955.
How to factor in the time difference when calling Turkey from the US
Due to varying time zones in the United States, it can be a hassle to calculate your recipient’s local time to ensure you’re calling at an appropriate hour. The good news is that all areas in Turkey observe the same time zone: Turkey Time (TRT). Depending on where you live in the US, here are the time differences you can expect.
- Eastern Standard Time (EST): Calling from the east coast? Turkey is 7 hours ahead of you (think 7 PM to your noon).
- Central Standard Time (CST): With an 8-hour difference, nobody will want your input on a project after office hours.
- Mountain Standard Time (MST): Your noon lunchtime hour is the equivalent of 9 PM in Turkey.
- Pacific Standard Time (PST): Most people in Turkey are preparing for a good night’s sleep during your 12 o’clock lunch break (10 PM).
- Alaska Standard Time (AKST): Here’s where things start getting tricky: 12 PM in AKST is 11 PM TRT – 11 hours behind Turkey.
- Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST): Turkey is a solid 13 hours ahead of Hawaii, making 12 PM Monday in Hawaii their 1 AM Tuesday.
Keep in mind Turkey doesn’t observe Daylight savings time (DST). To get a real-time snapshot of what time it is across the United States and Turkey, a tool like Savvy Time is very useful.
How much does it cost to call Turkey from the US?
Pricing is another issue you’ll have to address before placing a call to the Republic of Turkey. Depending on the length of your call, expect your provider to charge you anywhere between a few cents to a couple of dollars per minute.
Every phone provider has different rates according to the phone type, format, and country in question. If you don’t make international calls regularly, dialing Turkey should not cost you more than a few dollars per month. But if you’re always on the phone with your Turkish employee or colleague, beware: you might be incurring hundreds of dollars in monthly phone expenses.
If you want to know what it costs to call internationally on your current cell phone plan, we recommend getting in touch with your provider ASAP. But if you’re looking to slash your phone bill in general, you’re better off learning about OpenPhone.
How to lower your calling costs to Turkey
Calling Turkey from the United States doesn’t have to be expensive. With VoIP phones — which enable you to place and receive calls over the internet — your calling costs are significantly minimized. With OpenPhone, you can call your Turkish clients or team members for as low as 11 cents per minute.
A virtual phone can also be far superior to standard phones to improve your business communication. For instance, you access the following features with any OpenPhone plan:
- Free unlimited calling, SMS, and MMS in Canada and the US
- Shared phone numbers, which allow your team members to assist each other in fielding calls and texts
- Call recording, so you can review phone calls to customers and train team members
- Auto replies and snippets to help you streamline recurring tasks
- Integrations with apps like HubSpot, Gong, email, Slack, and Zapier to streamline your workflow
- Free phone number porting when you switch to VoIP
- Detailed analytics and insights into your calls and messages
Want to experience them for yourself? Start your free trial of OpenPhone and get a better, more streamlined international calling service. Check out more guides to dialing internationally:How to call Germany from the USHow to call Spain from the USHow to call Israel from the USHow to call the UK from the US
