Best VPNs for Turkey in 2023
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Inga Valiaugaitė
Writer
The number of Internet restrictions in Turkey has been rising and the censorship is on a constant upward curve. Turkey enforces data retention laws on ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and is notorious for blocking social media websites and streaming platforms.
The recent events regarding the February 6th earthquake in southern Turkey showed just how much the Turkish government restricts Internet sites. After receiving criticism for delayed official response, the government temporarily blocked access to Twitter. This left many without a possibility to contact their relatives.
In unfair situations as such, government restrictions can be bypassed using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). They provide you with complete Internet freedom while keeping you private. We tested and selected various VPNs, so continue reading to find the best VPNs for Turkey in terms of features, security, and more.
Top 5 best Turkey VPNs
- NordVPN – best all-rounded VPN for Turkey
- Surfshark – high-quality VPN for Turkey
- IPVanish – ultimate protection Turkey VPN with a vast server fleet
- ExpressVPN – Turkey VPN with an in-house-built tunneling protocol
- CyberGhost – a Turkey VPN with an impressive server fleet
What to look for in a VPN for Turkey?
A VPN is a key if you want secure and unrestricted access to the Internet in Turkey. Before choosing a VPN you need to make sure it has all the necessary features, such as:
- Servers in Turkey. Make sure the chosen provider has servers in Turkey and a diverse server fleet in other countries.
- Fast protocols and secure encryption. Most of the market-leading VPNs will have a variety of protocols to choose from and strong AES-256 encryption.
- Audited no-logs policy and privacy-friendly jurisdiction.
- Obfuscation. Server obfuscation will mask your use of a VPN.
- Kill switch and other useful features.
- Streaming. A reputable VPN provider will have the ability to unblock different streaming services like the Turkish Netflix library.
The best VPNs for Turkey – our detailed list
We’ve selected and thoroughly tested the best VPNs for Turkey and their ability to connect to Turkish servers. So, here’s a detailed look of the best VPN providers:
1. NordVPN – best overall VPN for Turkey
| Servers/Countries: | 5,800+ servers in 60 countries |
| Free version: | No |
| Price: | From $3.19/month |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Get NordVPN with 68% OFF + 3 months FREE! 🔥 |
NordVPN is the best VPN choice for Turkey because it’s a great combination of security, unblocking capabilities, speeds, and more. It also has a vast server fleet – 5,800+ servers in 60 countries and 14 servers in Turkey.
This provider offers unbreakable AES-256 encryption, which prevents third parties from accessing and potentially compromising your data. That’s a huge bonus, if you’re using a VPN in Turkey – the encryption will hide all of the data passing through your Internet connection. For security reasons, there’s also a kill switch, which prevents any accidental leaks if your connection drops.
In terms of NordVPN speeds, it has one of the fastest connection speeds on the market, thanks to NordLynx protocol and its ChaCha20 cipher. You will have no issues connecting to Turkish websites or streaming any content.
In terms of streaming, NordVPN is one of the best at unblocking major streaming platforms. In this case, you can also enjoy your Turkish content abroad or unblock worldwide libraries straight from Turkey.
NordVPN prices start from $3.19/month and you can also try premium features first with its 30-day money back guarantee.
To learn more about this provider, learn more on our NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark – affordable VPN to get around restrictions in Turkey
| Servers/Countries: | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries |
| Free version: | No |
| Price: | From $2.30/month |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Get 82% OFF Surfshark + 2 months FREE 🔥 |
If you’re looking for a cheaper VPN option for Turkey, Surfshark offers both affordable service and high-security standards. It offers 8 servers in Turkey and quite a global server fleet – 3,200+ servers in 100 countries.
With Surfshark you get top-class AES-256 encryption together with ChaCha20 cipher, making the service even more secure. There are also obfuscation servers to mask the fact that you’re using a VPN.
In terms of privacy, even though Surfshark is located in the Netherlands – a country that’s not privacy-friendly, Surfshark’s security is regularly audited and there’s a strict no-logs policy to prevent any data leaks.
When it comes to speeds, Surfshark offers WireGuard protocol that ensures excellent speeds. This will enhance your browsing, streaming, or torrenting experience.
Additionally, Surfshark has MultiHop+ Rotating IP, GPS spoofing features – it’s perfect for users that want an all-in-one suite. You can also get Surfshark antivirus, if you decide to go for the Surfshark One security bundle.
Surfshark’s prices begin at $2.30/month. Good news for Android and iOS users – there’s a 7-day free trial. If you’d like to try premium features first, you can try a 30-day money-back guarantee risk-free.
To get a better understanding, read our comprehensive Surfshark VPN review or compare it with the top choice in our Surfshark vs NordVPN analysis.
3. IPVanish – all-rounded protection VPN for Turkey
| Servers/Countries: | 2,200+ servers in 52 countries |
| Free version: | No |
| Price: | from $2.99/month |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Get 75% OFF IPVanish! 🔥 |
Another solid VPN for Turkey is IPVanish. It has servers in Turkey and a decent total server fleet – 2,200+ servers in 52 countries. IPVanish is an easy-to-use VPN service, has great speeds and offers top-tier security that will serve you well while using it for Turkey.
IPVanish’s security suite is pretty robust – there’s a next-gen AES-256 encryption to enhance the extra security layer of your data and IP address. On top of that, a kill switch will serve you well in case your connection is lost and obfuscated servers will let you browse anonymously without your VPN being detected.
What’s more, IPVanish offers robust speeds, thanks to WireGuard protocol’s performance. With other protocols, however, you can expect slightly slower speeds. Nonetheless, it’s a great choice if you want to browse or stream stuff on multiple devices – IPVanish offers unlimited simultaneous connections.
And last but not least, IPVanish has pretty decent deals and is a great value for money. Its plans start from $2.99/month and there’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Jump into IPVanish review to learn more about this VPN provider.
4. ExpressVPN – great security suite for Turkey
| Servers/Countries: | 3,000 servers in 94 countries |
| Free version: | No |
| Price: | from $6.67/month |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Get ExpressVPN, now 49% OFF the 1-year plan! 🔥 |
ExpressVPN is a fast and well-performing provider. The provider has 3,000 servers in 94 countries – guaranteeing access to Turkey.
ExpressVPN uses 256-bit AES encryption, which delivers the strongest and most advanced protection. On top of that, the provider implemented RAM-only infrastructure, which removes all data once the servers are rebooted. Paired with a strict and audited no-data-logs policy, this provider guarantees that none of your data is collected.
This VPN uses its in-house built Lightway tunneling protocol. The best part is that it leaves nearly no impact on your connection speeds or your device’s battery life.
When it comes to streaming, ExpressVPN performs with no issues. During our tests, the VPN unblocked all platforms we tested. Thus, your should be able to get access to Turkish websites, as well as streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and more.
ExpressVPN may not be the cheapest provider, but it is easy to justify its premium price by evaluating the overall value of this VPN. The prices start at $6.67/month, with the possibility to try it out with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Need more insights? Check out our detailed Express VPN review or see how ExpressVPN fares against #1 in our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.
5. CyberGhost – Turkey VPN with great unblocking capabilities
| Servers/Countries: | 9,600 servers in 91 countries |
| Free version: | No |
| Price: | from $2.19/month |
| Current deal: | 🔥 Get CyberGhost VPN, now 83% OFF + 2 months FREE 🔥 |
CyberGhost is a solid VPN with great unblocking capabilities. On top of that, it comes with one of the most impressive servers fleets – 9,600 servers in 91 countries.
The provider ensures top-notch security when browsing with its Turkish servers. CyberGhost has industry-leading AES-256 encryption, which is impossible to crack. Additionally, this VPN has a reliable kill switch to protect your data when the VPN connection drops.
Other than excellent security, CyberGhost comes with excellent connection speeds. Powered by the leading WireGuard protocol, which gives relatively fast and stable speeds.
The provider also has great streaming capabilities. It unblocks streaming platforms such as Hulu, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and helps you enjoy them in full HD without noticeable speed drops.
With all of these features comes a wallet-friendly price. CyberGhost price starts at $2.19/month. The provider also gives you a 45-day money-back guarantee, which allows you to test the service before fully committing to it.
To learn more about this provider, learn more on our CyberGhost review.
How we selected and tested these Turkey VPNs
When choosing a VPN deal, it’s important to get one that suits your needs. However, there are some things you should take into consideration before purchasing a VPN. That includes privacy, security, and more key factors that ensure the best value. Here are the critical points we considered while selecting the best VPNs for Turkey:
- Servers. We made sure that all of our VPNs included in the list have servers in Turkey. The more local servers you have, the better the connections and speeds will be. Our top picks have multiple servers based in Turkey.
- Privacy. In order for a VPN to do its job properly, it needs to have industry-standard privacy features, such as a no-logs policy. It’s crucial that a VPN provider doesn’t collect any of your data, as it would diminish the whole purpose of a VPN. Additionally, if a VPN is based in a privacy-friendly country, it’s a big pro.
- Obfuscation availability. For the extra layer of security, encrypted traffic, and access to the restricted content undetected, VPN providers have obfuscated servers. Due to VPN restrictions that are in place in Turkey, we made sure our selected VPNs have this availability.
- Streaming. Having access to geo-restricted content is another plus of a VPN. With a quality VPN, you’ll be able to unblock multiple streaming platforms, such as the Turkish Netflix library, Disney+, Prime Video, BluTV, Mubi, and others.
- Price. It’s important to find the right balance between the service quality and its price. Our selected VPNs have the best value for money and won’t break your bank.
- Compatibility. Privacy and that extra layer of security is a must on all of your devices. Therefore, the VPNs we picked are highly-compatible and have dedicated apps for both mobile and desktop devices, such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and more.
Why do you need a VPN in Turkey?
The main reason you need a VPN in Turkey is that you can protect yourself online and bypass any restrictions that come your way. Whether you’re a Turkish resident and want to watch international content or you’re traveling and want to access home streaming services, or just want to secure yourself from cyberthreats, a VPN comes into play.
Here are some more reasons why you need a VPN in Turkey:
- Stream Turkish content. If you want to watch Turkish content (Turkish Netflix library, channels like Digiturk, D-Smart, Kablo TV, TRT 1,2, Fox, TLC, A Spor, and more), a VPN comes in handy.
- Additional security and privacy. Market-leading VPNs use top-class AES-256 encryption, meaning that your data becomes undefiable for any third parties.
- Hide yourself from ISP. Some ISPs and phone data providers massively log users’ activities and personal information. A VPN assures none of your data is shared, leaked, or otherwise compromised.
- Access restricted websites. A VPN unblocks inaccessible websites that might not be locally accessed. This is done by VPN masking your real IP address, changing your location and providing a new IP address. In result, your location can be simply switched by selecting a different server to bypass restrictions within a few clicks.
- Avoid ISP throttling. To avoid throttling by ISP if you use a lot of bandwidth.
There are many more uses for a VPN, as it accommodates every user individually. For instance, there are VPNs for torrenting or gaming, streaming, protecting your wifi connection, and many other purposes.
Best Turkey VPNs compared
| NordVPN | Surfshark | IPVanish | ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand |  |  |  |  |  |
| Rating | |||||
| Servers | 5,800+ servers in 60 countries | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries | 2,200+ servers in 52 countries | 3,000+ servers in 94 countries | 9,600+ servers in 91 countries |
| Servers in Turkey | 14 | 8 | Number is not disclosed | Number is not disclosed | 26 |
| Free trial | Yes, 7-day | Yes, 7-day | Yes, 7-day | Yes, 7-day | Yes, 1-day on a desktop, 3-day on Android, and 7-day on iOS |
| Simultaneous connections | 6 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 8 | 7 |
| Streaming | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more | Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ |
| Price (lowest price per month) | $3.19/month | $2.30/month | $2.99/month | $6.67/month | $2.19/month |
| Review | NordVPN review | Surfshark VPN review | IPVanish review | ExpressVPN review | CyberGhost review |
How to get a Turkey IP address with a VPN
Getting a Turkish IP address with a VPN is a simple process and doesn’t require any advanced technical knowledge. Simply follow these steps:
- Choose and download a reputable VPN. We recommend NordVPN, now 68% OFF!
- Install the app and log in.
- We recommend enabling the kill switch in the VPN settings.
- Connect to the Turkish server.
- That’s it. Now you have a Turkish IP address and can start browsing anonymously.
Internet censorship in Turkey
Internet censorship in Turkey is very high, limiting social media sites and streaming platforms to all of its citizens. Freedomhouse.org, a non-profit organization, rated Internet Freedom Score of Turkey is 34 out of 100. That’s a very low score compared to other countries.
What’s more, in 2020, Turkey’s government passed the Social Media Regulations Law. This law requires social media platforms to appoint representatives in Turkey to represent them in court. Moreover, social media platforms have to remove reported content within 48 hours. This is usually done as an attempt to stop Turkish political figure criticism on social media.
Here are some examples of Internet restrictions in Turkey:
- The Turkish government temporarily banned access to Twitter after receiving backlash for slow response to the February 6th, 2023 earthquake in southern Turkey.
- The Radio and Television Supreme Council, Turkey’s Online Regulator, pushed Netflix to restrict content with the representatives of LGBT+.
- Spotify also agreed to comply with new laws but users are fearful of authorities blocking some podcasts because of the censorship.
- Restrictions on social media in Turkey are consistent with the recent political incidents and terror attacks. This limits access to support in times of need.
- In 2021, three students were reported to be arrested because of participating in Clubhouse discussions that criticized the ruling political party.
- Internet users and journalists are facing increasing physical attacks because of their online activities.
It’s also worth noting that gambling is illegal in Turkey and online betting platforms are blocked as well.
Torrenting in Turkey
Technically, torrenting in Turkey is not being monitored by law. However, there are laws for copyright rights and protection in place. Even though ISP’s are not enforcing it at the moment, downloading pirated content is against the law.
Turkey content you can watch with a VPN
Turkey has a whole variety of streaming content and local TV channels. Since these streaming services restrict access to international viewers, a VPN will help you bypass any geo-blocks and allow you to stream Turkish and international content including:
- Turkish Netflix library. It has 5500+ titles, some exclusive shows available in Turkey are The Cage, 1 Kadin 1 Erkek, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Nitram, Hidden Identity, and many more.
- Disney+ library
- Prime Video
- BluTV
- PuhuTV
- Mubi
Turkish IP address will also let you stream Turkish TV content:
- Digiturk
- D-Smart
- Kablo TV
- TRT 1
- Fox
- TLC
- A Spor
Can I use a free VPN in Turkey?
Yes, you can use a free VPN in Turkey. While some free VPNs offer servers in Turkey, the majority of them, however, are unreliable. We don’t recommend using a free VPN and we’re going to explain why.
First off, free VPNs attract a lot of users and offer only a limited number of servers of IP addresses. In result, the servers get overcrowded really fast and IP addresses can be quickly blacklisted. Not to mention that the speeds are slow due to bandwidth throttling.
Moreover, free VPNs don’t offer comprehensive features as premium VPNs, and might just leave your protection vulnerable with hidden malware and intrusive ads.
Alternatively, we recommend using freemium VPNs – free trials or money-back guarantees by premium VPNs. This way you get to try all the premium features securely and risk-free. You can try NordVPN’s free trial for Android with a 30-day money-back guarantee or Surfshark’s free trial for macOS, Android, and iOS devices.
Final thoughts
Since freedom of the Internet is facing lots of restrictions in Turkey, using a VPN is crucial in order to bypass any of the blocks. A quality VPN does not only let you access geo-blocked sites but also keeps your Internet connection secure and private at all times.
The best Turkey VPNs we selected have a powerful suite of features, including high-end encryption, a kill switch, a no-logs policy, and more. A large server selection, as well as the option of multiple Turkish servers lets you access local and international content, and safeguards your data making sure no prying eyes, like ISPs, will be able to reach it.
We recommend getting NordVPN – it has the most servers in Turkey and ensures high-end encryption for your risk-free browsing.
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FAQ
What's the best VPN for Turkey?
NordVPN is the best VPN for Turkey. It has the most Turkish servers and is on the top of our list in terms of the next-gen encryption and high security levels. You can also try other VPN tools like Surfshark, which is also one of the best VPNs for Turkey.
Which VPN provides a Turkey server?
All of our top list providers offer servers in Turkey, including NordVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish, and more. These reputable providers offer the widest range of servers to choose from with a fast and stable connection.
Does Turkey ban VPN?
No, Turkey does not ban VPNs. However, despite it being legal, the use of VPNs is restricted. The Turkish government has taken steps to process the ban on VPNs and there are numerous VPNs that will not work there. We recommend using market-leading providers like NordVPN that ensures to bypass any geo-blocks.
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