Living in TurkeyElectric
Services Electric bills are issued every two months.
Payment is either by automatic bank transfer or at banks specified. Overdue bills
are paid at your district Electric Department Central Office. There is a significant
charge for overdue bills. Telephone The
cell phone has become an indispensible part of Turkish life. Getting a cell phone
with a regular monthly bill requires co-signing from a Turkish citizen. Turkcel
(0532) and Telsim (0542) are of this type. Other numbers are available that have
replaceable cards with set amounts of talking time which are easier to acquire. Traditional
phone booths are conveniently located around the city. Phone cards can be purchased
from the local vendors or from the PTT (Posta-Telefon-Telegraf) offices. Home
phone service is much more reliable than it used to be and much easier to have
installed. You must present a written request to your district's Telephone Department
Central Office (Genel Müdürlügü) - not the local PTT office.
If your home has a phone line it will be turned on within a few days. If there
are no lines you will be given an appointment for installation. It is possible
to pay an extra fee for faster service. Paying the Bills:
Bills can be paid through automatic bank transfer or at banks specified. Bills
past the due date must be paid at the General Office.
Water Water
bills are issued every three months. They can be paid through automatic bank transfer,
at banks specified, or at your district's Water Department General Office.
Cable TV Cable TV service can be obtained from your
district's Telephone Department General Office with a written request for service.
Bills are issued monthly and can be paid by automatic bank transfer or at banks
specified on the bill. Overdue bills are paid at the telephone office. At
present, English language channels include: CNN, BBC World, BBC, Teleon, Prime,
MSNBC, and Eurosport. CINE-5 is a for-pay channel with sporting events, movies,
and sitcoms (some English, mostly Turkish). Channel E often has English-language
sit-coms and movies in English with written Turkish subtitles. Natural
Gas Most homes in Turkey have been equipped with natural
gas for heating. Sometimes, the cost of gas is included in your monthly general
building charges. If your gas is handled separately from the general apartment,
your monthly bills are paid through automatic bank transfer or at banks specified
on the bill. Some ovens and bathroom water heating units
used LPG gas tubes. These are sold on trucks that visit the neighborhoods, often
playing music to advertise their presence.They can also be contacted by phone. Postal
Services Letters, magazines, and small parcels are delivered
to your door by a postman. It is in your best interest to develop a good relationship
with your neighborhood postman to encourage him to bring packages to your door
and save you a trip to the Paket Posta in town. Also, instruct relatives and friends
to send small padded envelope packages whenever possible. It also helps to have
packages sent to your work address if possible. Letters
can be mailed from any PTT office. For an extra fee, the letters can be sent express
and arrive within 2-3 days. Express mail services like DHL and UPS are also available.
Package Pickup A yellow slip
may arrive with your regular mail. This slip must be taken, along with your passport,
to the Small Packet Postage Center near Topkapý. It is possible to send
another person in your place with written authorization and a copy of your passport.
There is a small charge for customs, and a late charge for packages not picked
up within the time specified. ^
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