Wherever a person happens to be, at home or abroad, nobody is fully insured against an emergency. Fortunately there are emergency services ready to come at any hour and give the help that is needed. For that you have to learn by heart, or at least write down and keep at hand, the numbers of the fire service, the police, the ambulance and other organizations.
In a foreign country, communicating with emergency services can be complicated by the language. The Turkish government has taken care to protect not only its own citizens but its foreign guests too, and the rescue services operating in the country are now available to people who do not speak Turkish.
Where to turn if you find yourself in an emergency in Turkey is what we cover below.
Content:
- Main emergency numbers
- Which number to call: the table
- Special numbers for foreign nationals
- What to tell the operator
- What to prepare in advance
- Popular questions
Main emergency numbers
The key change of recent years: since June 2021 every emergency service in Turkey operates through the single number 112. The police, the gendarmerie, the fire service, the ambulance service, the forest service and the disaster agency were merged into one call center covering all 81 provinces.
Turkey has short emergency numbers that can be used even by foreigners whose mobile operators have no agreement with local networks. They are:
- 112. Anyone who calls 112 is promptly connected to whichever emergency service they need. This is the only number you really have to remember: the call is free and the service runs around the clock;
- 155. Dialing 155 calls the police, though calls to it are routed to 112;
- 110. The number 110 is for fires, and it is also connected to the single center;
- 177. The number 177 is for reporting forest fires. This line has been merged into 112, as have 156 for the gendarmerie and 158 for the coast guard;
- 183. This is now the social support line: it advises on the protection of children, women and people with disabilities;
- 186 and 187. The first is for the electricity emergency service, the second for the gas emergency service.
- 185. The number 185 is the water utility emergency service;
- 153. The number 153 belongs to the municipal police service and works as a general line for requests to the municipality;
- 154. To reach the traffic police, call 154.
- 184. The number 184 is used for advice on medical services.
- 118. Directory services on 118 are paid and belong to telecom operators rather than the state.
Which number to call: the table
If the situation threatens life, health or property, dial 112. The other numbers are for everyday and departmental matters.
| Situation | Number | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Any threat to life: ambulance, police, fire, accident | 112 | Single free number, around the clock, merging all services since 2021 |
| Foreigner’s questions: visas, residence permits, documents, help for victims | 157 | The YİMER contact center for foreigners, working in several languages including Russian |
| Tourist complaints about service, hotels, excursions | 176 | Ministry of Culture and Tourism line, from abroad +90 312 176 11 22 |
| Protection of children, women and people with disabilities | 183 | Social support line |
| Power network failure | 186 | Electricity service |
| Gas leak or failure | 187 | Gas emergency service |
| Water supply problems | 185 | Water utility emergency service |
| Requests to the municipality | 153 | Cleaning, lighting, city infrastructure |
| Questions about medical services | 184 | Ministry of Health advice line |
Special numbers for foreign nationals
The Turkish authorities have set up a dedicated hotline to solve the problems of foreign nationals in the country. It can be reached on 157. The contact center for foreigners, YİMER, has been running since August 20, 2015, and over eleven years its operators have handled some 27.7 million calls.
The center provides services in Turkish, English, Arabic, Russian and Persian. The hotline works around the clock. Foreigners call it with questions about visas, residence permits, and international and temporary protection. The service also takes reports of human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and has helped rescue more than 15,000 people.
A separate line serves tourists: the Ministry of Culture and Tourism takes enquiries on 176. It has operated since 2014 around the clock, advises in Turkish and English, and is reached from abroad on +90 312 176 11 22. Complaints about hotels, excursions and the quality of services go here.
What to tell the operator
The 112 operator asks questions in a set order, and the conversation moves faster when the answers are ready.
First, what happened. A short phrase without detail: a fire, a road accident, a person unconscious.
Second, where. A Turkish address consists of the province (il), the district (ilçe), the neighborhood (mahalle), the street (sokak or cadde) and the building number. It is worth writing your address down in exactly that form, and outside, navigating by the plaques on the corners of buildings.
Third, how many people are affected and in what condition.
Fourth, your name and a phone number for the call back.
If explaining in Turkish is beyond you, say "English" or "Russian" to the operator: the 112 center provides interpretation, and in parallel you can dial 157, where Russian is certain to be answered.
What to prepare in advance
- Save 112 and 157 in your phone, along with the number of your consulate in the nearest city.
- Keep your address in the Turkish format at hand: il, ilçe, mahalle, sokak, building and apartment number.
- Keep your health insurance details: the hospital will ask for them on arrival rather than over the phone.
- Find out which state hospital (devlet hastanesi) covers your district: the ambulance takes patients to the nearest one on its route.
- Carry your residence permit card or a photo of it — the identification number is needed when you are admitted to a clinic.
"The bottleneck is not the language but the address. People name a residential complex that only the neighbors know and lose minutes. The address in the format province, district, neighborhood, street, building number belongs in your phone notes," says a relocation expert.
Popular questions
Which number do you call for an ambulance in Turkey?
112. Since 2021 it covers the ambulance, the police, the fire service, the gendarmerie and rescue services across the country.
Do 155 and 110 still work?
You can dial them, but the call is routed to the single 112 center anyway. It is simpler to call 112 straight away.
Is there a service that speaks Russian?
Yes, the contact center for foreigners on 157. It runs around the clock and advises on documents, residence permits and protection.
Where do you complain about a hotel or an excursion?
To the Ministry of Culture and Tourism line on 176, or +90 312 176 11 22 from abroad.
Is calling 112 chargeable?
No, the call is free from mobile and landline phones.