The Best Free & Premium VPNs for Turkey

Detailed List of the Best VPNs for Turkey

1. 1. Astrill VPN: Best VPN for Turkey

   A secure VPN with Turkish servers and two obfuscation protocols to bypass website blocks.

   Ranked #1 out of 65 VPNs for Turkey

   

    Rated 0 out of 5 

   No user reviews

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   Pros

   • StealthVPN works 100% of the time
   • Servers in Turkey & nearby countries
   • No IP, DNS or WebRTC leaks
   • Effective kill switch (desktop-only)
   • Sensible logging policy
   • Based in privacy-friendly Seychelles

   Cons

   • Most expensive service
   • No refunds or free trials
   • Slower than NordVPN & ExpressVPN
   • No web browser extensions
   • No mobile kill switch

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 9.4/10

   This overall rating is calculated based on the following category ratings. To learn more, read our Turkey VPN testing methodology.

   • Bypassing Turkish Censorship:
     9.99.9/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     9.89.8/10
   • Privacy & Logging Policy:
     8.98.9/10
   • Speed:
     7.87.8/10
   • Nearby Servers to Turkey:
     8.88.8/10

   Astrill VPN is our top recommendation for people living in, or traveling to, highly-censored countries, including Turkey.

   The VPN service is extremely effective at bypassing internet censorship and VPN blocks. It has two proprietary obfuscation technologies that work to avoid detection by Turkish government firewalls.

   Servers	107
   Data Leaks	No
   Logging Policy	Some User Logs
   Download SpeediDownload SpeedCloseBased on 100Mbps local test connection	92Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$12.50/mo over two years See all plans

   Stealth protocols and secure servers in Turkey

   Astrill VPn offers its customers a full range of encryption and security settings.

   The service’s apps come with a working kill switch, and its built-in IP, WebRTC and DNS leak protection has successfully worked over years of testing.

   The VPN’s connections are secured using AES-256 encryption via the OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols, as well as the in-house OpenWeb or StealthVPN ones.

   StealthVPN is Astrill’s proprietary protocol that works exceptionally well in Turkey. It obfuscates connections to make the VPN traffic appear as normal web traffic.

   

   Astrill’s security settings offer both StealthVPN and TCP.

   While the VPN service only operates 107 servers around the world, the VPN company owns them all so it handles their security directly.

   Moreover, there are servers physically located in Turkey, but also in nearby countries Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Israel, for faster connections out of Turkey.

   Slower than competitors and very expensive

   While Astrill VPN’s security is of the highest standard, we can’t say the same about its connection speeds.

   We’ve noticed a slowdown from Astrill more recently, which means it can no longer compete with the very fastest VPNs.

   However, its track record in censored regions remains very strong, meaning that slower speeds may be worth the compromise.

   Astrill VPN is also the most expensive VPN we’ve reviewed, so those looking for value for money might be better off turning to NordVPN, instead.

   Sadly, Astrill doesn’t even offer any kind of trial or refund period. It should really introduce one, especially in light of its high price point.

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   or read our full Astrill VPN Review.

   
   

2. 2. ExpressVPN: Best VPN Free Trial for Turkey

   Fast and secure VPN with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day refund guarantee.

   

    Rated 4.8 out of 5 

   1,863 reviews

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   Pros

   • 7-day free trial on iOS & Android
   • Hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee
   • Servers in Turkey, Greece, Georgia, Armenia & more
   • Integrated obfuscation technology
   • Excellent, reliable speeds
   • No IP leaks in any of our tests

   Cons

   • More expensive than alternatives
   • No split tunneling on macOS
   • Frequent CAPTCHAs on some connections

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 9.3/10

   This overall rating is calculated based on the following category ratings. To learn more, read our Turkey VPN testing methodology.

   • Bypassing Turkish Censorship:
     99.0/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     9.69.6/10
   • Privacy & Logging Policy:
     9.29.2/10
   • Speed:
     9.79.7/10
   • Nearby Servers to Turkey:
     9.49.4/10

   ExpressVPN has all the features necessary to make it an excellent VPN for avoiding censorship. In Turkey, this is no different.

   Its applications are really easy to use, which makes a big difference to most users. Many VPNs have complicated setup process for obfuscated servers, but if you leave ExpressVPN on “Smart Location” it will automatically activate obfuscation when you need it.

   Servers	3,000
   Data Leaks	No
   Logging Policy	No Identifying Data
   Download SpeediDownload SpeedCloseBased on 100Mbps local test connection	97Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$6.67/mo over 15 Months See all plans

   Servers in Istanbul, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Greece

   ExpressVPN has the most server locations available in Turkey and surrounding countries.

   

   ExpressVPN’s list of server locations, including Turkey.

   If you’re in Istanbul or the surrounding area, there are servers in nearby Bulgaria and Greece, while if you are on the south coast there are servers in Cyprus and Israel.

   If you are in the eastern part of Turkey then ExpressVPN has the best coverage you’ll find, with servers in bordering Georgia and Armenia.

   The VPN’s apps are some of the best-designed we’ve reviewed. They are simple and easy to use on all devices, including Fire TV Stick. You can install the VPN at router level, too, for increased device compatibility.

   Secure no-logs VPN

   We’ve never experienced ExpressVPN leak any IP, DNS or WebRTC information.

   The VPN also features a reliable kill switch on desktop and mobile, to prevent web activity being exposed in the event of a VPN sudden connection drop.

   ExpressVPN has been proven to not collect any identifiable user activity logs. It also uses RAM-based servers that don’t record any data to disk.

   A great try-before-you-buy VPN

   Another reason for using ExpressVPN is its seven-day free trial, available through the iOS App and Google Play stores.

   Once you’ve taken up the trial, you can use it on up to five devices at once, including desktop apps and Fire TV devices.

   After the initial trial period is over, the 30-day no-questions-asked refund period begins. You essentially have 37 days to test the VPN risk-free.

   This level of flexibility allows you to try ExpressVPN extensively, before deciding whether to keep using it longer-term or not.

   It also counteracts ExpressVPN’s biggest drawback, which is that it’s more expensive than NordVPN on an initial longer-term pricing plan.

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   or read our full ExpressVPN Review.

   
   

3. 3. PrivateVPN: Best Cheap VPN for Turkey

   Affordable, fast, and effective – but with a limited number of server locations.

   

    Rated 4.9 out of 5 

   1,735 reviews

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   Pros

   • Stealth protocol works in Turkey
   • Servers in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus & Israel
   • Strict no-logs policy
   • Great value for money on a three-year plan
   • Unblocks many video platforms

   Cons

   • Small number of individual VPN servers
   • No browser extensions
   • Slower international connections
   • Lacks certain advanced security features

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 9.2/10

   This overall rating is calculated based on the following category ratings. To learn more, read our Turkey VPN testing methodology.

   • Bypassing Turkish Censorship:
     9.49.4/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     9.19.1/10
   • Privacy & Logging Policy:
     9.39.3/10
   • Speed:
     9.19.1/10
   • Nearby Servers to Turkey:
     8.88.8/10

   PrivateVPN competes admirably against more expensive alternatives. It is the perfect choice if you are only willing to commit for a month, as even the short packages are great value.

   The global speeds are some of the fastest we’ve ever recorded, while the apps are also clear and easy to use. It also comes with an obfuscated Stealth VPN protocol, which works effectively in Turkey.

   Servers	200
   Data Leaks	No
   Logging Policy	No Logs
   Download SpeediDownload SpeedCloseBased on 100Mbps local test connection	95Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$2.00/mo over 3 years See all plans

   A small network of servers in the region

   Even with these low prices, there are only a few drawbacks.

   Notably, PrivateVPN maintains a smaller server network than the other VPNs on this list, so you might encounter network congestion at peak times.

   There are still lots of locations in the region, though. It has servers in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Israel to give you a strong connection wherever you are in the country.

   We’ve also found that livechat support isn’t available 24/7, unlike some other choices. This is unsurprising considering the smaller size of PrivateVPN’s operation, but still worth keeping in mind if you are unfamiliar with using a VPN.

   Strictly zero-logs, and no IP or DNS leaks

   Aside from these minor drawbacks, PrivateVPN performs excellently across the board.

   We’ve had no problem getting access to US & UK Netflix, as well as BBC iPlayer and other regional streaming services – great news for expats. It allows users to torrent all servers, too, which is a big plus.

   PrivateVPN doesn’t leak IP, DNS, or WebRTC information either, which is a must-have when bypassing censorship.

   It is also a 100% no-logs provider, so you can be confident of your anonymity with the service.

   All this makes PrivateVPN the top-rated choice for those on a budget in Turkey. Some of the competition is better, but none of it is better value – especially for short commitments.

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   or read our full PrivateVPN Review.

   
   

4. 4. NordVPN: Best Streaming VPN for Turkey

   Easy to use, secure and extremely fast VPN.

   

    Rated 4.7 out of 5 

   246 reviews

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   Pros

   • Excellent local download speeds
   • Private logging policy
   • Much cheaper than Astrill
   • Servers in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Israel
   • Unblocks most streaming platforms
   • Has never leaked our IP address in our tests

   Cons

   • Less effective than Astrill
   • Doesn't accept PayPal
   • Renews at a much higher price
   • Desktop apps can't be resized

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 9.0/10

   This overall rating is calculated based on the following category ratings. To learn more, read our Turkey VPN testing methodology.

   • Bypassing Turkish Censorship:
     9.29.2/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     8.58.5/10
   • Privacy & Logging Policy:
     8.88.8/10
   • Speed:
     9.79.7/10
   • Nearby Servers to Turkey:
     8.98.9/10

   NordVPN is another solid choice for Turkey. On longer plans it is a great value VPN, costing $3.29 a month, but you’ll only get this excellent value if you sign up for multiple years – not ideal if you only plan on spending a month or two in Turkey.

   With 13 servers in Turkey and more in surrounding countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Israel, NordVPN will be able to maintain great speeds in Turkey, too.

   Servers	5,754
   Data Leaks	No
   Logging Policy	No Identifying Data
   Download SpeediDownload SpeedCloseBased on 100Mbps local test connection	95Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$3.29/mo over 2 years See all plans

   Fast VPN speeds in Turkey & access to streaming services

   NordVPN keeps delivering the fastest speeds connecting into and out of Turkey.

   On short-distances we recorded a connection slowdown of just 5% compared to Astrill’s 8%.

   

   NordVPN’s speeds were fast in every location we tested.

   On international connections the speed loss was 14%, which is an impressive result. Astrill’s was 14%.

   NordVPN is our also our top choice for streaming in Turkey. It works reliably with BBC iPlayer, 12 Netflix, Disney+, and many more services.

   

   You can use NordVPN to stream US Netflix from Turkey.

   Not as effective in other highly-censored countries

   NordVPN no longer works in the UAE, where its servers have been successfully blocked. It’s also inconsistent in China.

   Turkey’s internet censorship infrastructure isn’t the same as that of the UAE or China. It lacks some of their technical capability, and therefore NordVPN still worked in our latest tests.

   While NordVPN shouldn’t stop working in Turkey any time soon, it’s worth keeping in mind before signing up to a longer-term subscription.

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   or read our full NordVPN Review.

   
   

5. 5. VyprVPN: Most Advanced VPN for Turkey

   A 100% no-logs service with a Chameleon protocol and servers in Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece & Israel.

   

    Rated 4.4 out of 5 

   62 reviews

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   Pros

   • Fast, consistent speeds
   • Works for US & UK Netflix
   • Servers in Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece & Israel
   • Chameleon obfuscation protocol avoids detection
   • Truly no-logs privacy policy

   Cons

   • Inconsistent access since ban
   • Limited online guides
   • No kill switch on iOS

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 8.8/10

   This overall rating is calculated based on the following category ratings. To learn more, read our Turkey VPN testing methodology.

   • Bypassing Turkish Censorship:
     8.88.8/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     8.68.6/10
   • Privacy & Logging Policy:
     8.38.3/10
   • Speed:
     9.69.6/10
   • Nearby Servers to Turkey:
     9.29.2/10

   VyprVPN is not as consistent at bypassing censorship in Turkey, which means it is placed behind our other top picks. However, compared to most VPN services, it is still a strong choice for beating Turkey’s online censorship.

   It offers servers in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and Israel – less comprehensive than some of the other providers on this list, but still pretty good.

   Servers	700+
   Data Leaks	No
   Logging Policy	No Logs
   Download SpeediDownload SpeedCloseBased on 100Mbps local test connection	96Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$5.00/mo over 12 months See all plans

   Effective obfuscation on every VyprVPN server

   Some VPNs will limit the number of servers you have access to when you use their obfuscation protocol. Not VyprVPN, though.

   This means you can have reliable access to obfuscation on all of the VPN servers in the region.

   There’s a kill switch, which is essential for safe use in a censored country like Turkey. VyprVPN also has a record of not leaking IP, DNS, or WebRTC information – another essential.

   Its no-logs privacy policy is one of the best we’ve seen, which means your data is safe with VyprVPN.

   An easy user interface, but occasional blackouts

   VyprVPN’s apps are easy to set up on all systems. The interface is easy to understand, too.

   VyprVPN was one of the VPNs explicitly named in Turkey’s 2016 VPN ban. The service has mostly stayed online, but we’ve seen some Turkish users online complain of occasional connection blackouts since the ban.

   Most of the time, though, you can expect good speeds from VyprVPN in Turkey.

   It works with Netflix UK and US. We haven’t been able to watch BBC iPlayer with VyprVPN in a while, so if you’re looking to stream UK TV while in Turkey you should consider ExpressVPN or NordVPN instead.

   Its online resources also aren’t quite as extensive as competitors like ExpessVPN, but a quick and helpful 24/7 live chat feature means this isn’t too much of an issue. You can find out how to get a VyprVPN free trial for up to 30 days in our guide, too.

   Visit VyprVPN

   or read our full VyprVPN Review.

   
   

What Is the Best Free VPN for Turkey?

Windscribe is the best free VPN for Turkey. In our testing, it has been the only free VPN that consistently bypassed aggressive website blocks in the country.

The free version of Windscribe comes with limited server options and a 10GB data limit, but its encryption is secure and its speeds are reasonably fast compared to most free VPN services.

Windscribe Free also comes with an obfuscation protocol called Stealth. It’s specifically designed to work in highly-censored countries.

Windscribe’s obfuscation protocol called Stealth.

If you choose to use Windscribe, it’s best to download the app before you arrive in Turkey.

In most cases, we don’t recommend using a free VPN in highly-censored countries. While there are a handful of good free VPNs, the vast majority come with security flaws, poor privacy policies, or they don’t encrypt internet traffic.

Free VPNs are also much less likely to come with the obfuscation technology necessary to avoid detection by an ISP or the Turkish government.

How to Get a Turkish IP Address

It’s extremely easy to get a Turkish IP address using a VPN as long as it has physical servers in Turkey, or it uses Turkish virtual servers.

Follow the steps below to get an anonymous Turkish IP address:

1. Subscribe to a trustworthy VPN service with servers in Turkey.
2. Download the software and select the ‘Server Locations’ menu on the main screen.
3. Select a Turkey VPN server in a Turkish city of your choice.
4. The VPN will establish an encrypted connection from your device to the Turkey server.
5. Once connected to the server, you will acquire its Turkish IP address.
6. Confirm your Turkish IP address by using an IP checker tool.

Are VPNs Banned in Turkey?

Only specific VPN services have been banned in Turkey.

In November 2016, Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority ordered Turkish ISPs to block access to Tor and several VPNs services including Hotspot Shield, Psiphon, TunnelBear, VyprVPN and ExpressVPN.

The government uses deep packet inspection (DPI) to inspect, identify, and block traffic if it belongs to one of these VPN services.

Turkish censors use DPI to block VPN traffic when it identifies it, but it is nowhere near as effective as China’s VPN detection infrastructure.

For this reason, most banned VPNs using obfuscation technology still work in Turkey, including both ExpressVPN and VyprVPN.

Is it Legal to Use a VPN in Turkey?

It is completely legal to use a VPN in Turkey. Though the Turkish government continually blocks websites, people are not held legally responsible for attempting to access them using a VPN.

Something to keep in mind, though, is that whatever you do while using a VPN in Turkey is still subject to Turkish law.

This includes Article 301, which legislates prison sentences of up to two years for anyone who “publicly denigrates the Turkish nation”.

This law has been used to actively punish criticism of the Turkish government, its leaders and its actions.

Beyond this, there have been large numbers of arrests in recent years over Twitter comments critical of the government.

If you log onto a Twitter account associated with your real-life name or identity and then start criticising Erdoğan, you could encounter harsh consequences.

Which VPNs Are Banned in Turkey?

Some banned VPNs have the capacity to overcome Turkey’s censorship technologies, but others don’t.

These popular VPN services do not work in Turkey:

• Hotspot Shield
• TunnelBear
• IPVanish
• Private Internet Access

If your VPN isn’t working in Turkey, one possible workaround is to switch to a VPN that offers port forwarding.

OpenVPN connections generally use UDP port 1194, and this can be used to identify it as a VPN connection.

HTTPS traffic, though, generally passes through TCP port 443. If you can get your OpenVPN traffic to pass through this port it is effectively disguised as normal traffic.

You will need a VPN provider whose client includes port forwarding to do this. To learn more about port forwarding, read our list of the best VPNs for torrenting.

How to Download a VPN in Turkey

It can be difficult to download a VPN in Turkey because the government blocks VPN websites.

If you are planning on travelling to Turkey, we recommend downloading a VPN before leaving your home country to guarantee you can use it once you are there.

If you haven’t done this, or you are from Turkey and don’t have access to the open internet, you can use a proxy to access the website of your chosen VPN provider and download their app.

Fortunately, only major VPN services have actually been blocked, so it is generally possible to find a safe download link.

If your chosen VPN provider has been blocked, contact their customer support. The top VPNs for Turkey will usually provide an alternative URL that has not been banned by the censors.

How Can I Access Blocked Sites in Turkey?

There are a few ways to get access to blocked websites in Turkey. The most common ways to bypass Turkish censorship are:

• Use a VPN
• Use the Tor Browser
• Use a Web Proxy

VPN software is the most versatile of these choices. A good VPN will be able to tunnel your web traffic outside of Turkey without catching the attention of your ISP or the government.

This allows you to access the free internet without risking your security or privacy.

Alternatively you can connect to the Tor network, a global network of community owned servers or “nodes” which anonymise your activity and relocate it to another country. Tor has been banned in Turkey, so it isn’t as easy to use as it once was.

A visualization of Tor’s global data flow, 3 to 6 January 2016 by TorFlow.

Tor comes with its own risks, too. Unless you know what you’re doing, it’s much easier to expose your identity.

The third option is to use a web proxy. A proxy is more rudimentary than a VPN, and won’t protect your activity from surveillance by your ISP using methods like deep packet inspection (DPI).

Using a proxy can be a quick way to spoof your location and access restricted information about staying anonymous online in Turkey. However, it’s much safer to use a more secure tool that actually encrypts your connection.

Which Websites Are Blocked in Turkey?

Under Erdoğan’s leadership, an increasingly large number of websites have been blocked.

To access these sites and services during a government blackout, you’ll need a VPN or another reliable method of circumventing your Turkish ISP’s firewall.

Social media services that are routinely blocked in Turkey include:

• Facebook
• Facebook Messenger
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Instagram
• WhatsApp
• Skype
• Telegram

Bans have been harsh and unexpected, none more so than Wikipedia, which was banned in April 2017.

The image hosting site Imgur has also been banned in Turkey, following an incident where two men took a district attorney hostage and posted an image of him at gunpoint on the website.

There is very little transparency from the Turkish government, so it is hard to tell when a website might go down and whether or not it will come back online.

The fact that online censorship is implemented so casually demonstrates the need to run a VPN in Turkey, where online resources can be closed off without warning or justification.

LGBT+ content and news have also been a persistent target for censorship, offline and online. In September 2019 TikTok banned all depictions of homosexuality from its platform in Turkey.

The dating app Grindr was banned in Turkey in 2013.

In July 2019 the Turkish news site Bianet was also banned. This was particularly alarming, as Bianet is one of very few independent news sources operating in Turkey.

It later emerged that the ban was made by accident, and only specific articles were supposed to be blocked. The other 135 independent news sites were not as lucky as Bianet, and remain offline.

Media sites are required to apply for a special licence to broadcast to Turkey. Netflix has applied for this licence and claims it won’t be censoring any content. However, we won’t be surprised if shows containing controversial scenes are re-edited or censored.

Social media blockages are particularly severe when “wartime” restrictions come into effect.

A huge number of social media platforms were blocked in Southern Turkey while the Turkish Armed Forces and the Free Syrian Army moved to invade Syria, against the Kurdish PKK and YPG, dubbed “Operation Peace Spring”.

Banning just part of the country is part of the growing technological capabilities of Turkey’s censorship regime.

How We Test the Top VPNs for Turkey

To make sure our recommendations are accurate, we use a scientific rating system to find the best VPNs for Turkey.

We test every VPN in five key areas, each of which are weighted according to their importance. We then combine this data to calculate an overall rating for Turkey.

For Turkey specifically, we test for:

• Ability to bypass censorship in Turkey
• Fast & stable local speeds
• Servers in Turkey & nearby countries
• Effective obfuscation technology
• IP address, DNS, or WebRTC leaks
• Advanced security & privacy features
• Logging of activity or connection data

Here’s a more detailed overview of the five categories we test for and how much of the overall Turkey rating they account for:

1. Bypassing Turkish Censorship: 40%

Minimum Requirement: The VPN usually works in Turkey.
We Recommend: Every VPN server reliably works in Turkey.

The ability to safely bypass Turkish website blocks is the most important attribute for a Turkey VPN, which is why it is weighted highest in our ratings.

We test to make sure that every VPN we recommend is capable of functioning safely in Turkey without being identified by authorities.

VPN services that work in Turkey on the majority of their international servers are rewarded, while those that are banned or blocked by ISPs are penalized.

2. Obfuscation Technology: 20%

Minimum Requirement: Obfuscation technology is not a requirement.
We Recommend: Multiple effective traffic obfuscation protocols.

Obfuscation technology is a key feature for any anti-censorship VPN. Obfuscation or ‘camouflage’ protocols disguise your VPN traffic as normal HTTP traffic, which helps it evade detection.

We test every VPN’s encryption and security settings to find out whether it offers traffic obfuscation.

VPNs with AES-256 encryption, no IP leaks, and a range of obfuscation settings are rewarded in the overall rating for Turkey.

3. Privacy & Logging Policy: 20%

Minimum Requirement: The VPN only collects anonymized logs.
We Recommend: A clear, strictly no-logs privacy policy.

Privacy is important for every VPN, not just those for Turkey. We analyze every privacy policy and only recommend VPN services that log as little identifying information as possible.

4. Speed: 10%

Minimum Requirement: Average speeds of 60Mbps or higher.
We Recommend: Average speeds of 80Mbps or higher.

Our automated and manual VPN speed tests give an accurate indication of how fast every VPN is on both local and international connections.

We calculate a percentage speed loss rating that reflects the impact each VPN is likely to have on your VPN speeds.

VPNs with an average speed loss of 20% or less perform better in the overall ratings.

5. Nearby Servers to Turkey: 10%

Minimum Requirement: A selection of servers in Turkey or nearby countries.
We Recommend: A wide range of servers in Turkey and nearby countries.

Finally, the availability of nearby VPN servers is also tested when rating VPNs for Turkey.

The best VPNs offer reliable servers in Turkey, as well as servers in nearby countries like Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania.

If you connect to a VPN server close to your physical location, you’re much more likely to experience better performance.