The Best VPNs for Turkey

The 5 Best VPNs for Turkey in 2021

1. 1. Astrill VPN: The Best VPN for Turkey

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

   

    0% 

   No user reviews

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   Pros

   1. Fast speed performance
   2. Servers in Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece & Israel
   3. Minimal logging policy
   4. Proprietary obfuscation technology
   5. No IP, DNS or WebRTC leaks

   Cons

   1. Expensive
   2. No refunds
   3. Slower than other options

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 9.5/10

   This rating is calculated using the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing methodology for Turkey.

   • Bypassing Censorship:
     9.99.9/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     9.99.9/10
   • Logging Policy:
     9.49.4/10
   • Average Speed:
     8.78.7/10
   • Nearby Servers:
     8.88.8/10

   Astrill VPN is a popular choice for people living in highly-censored countries, and there’s good reason for that.

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

   Servers	110
   Data Leaks	No
   Logging Policy	Some User Logs
   Top Download Speedi Based on 100Mbps local test connection	80Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$10.00/mo over 12 Months See all plans

   VPN servers in Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and more

   There are Astrill VPN servers in Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Israel, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a server near you.

   Astrill VPN doesn’t leak IP, DNS or WebRTC information, and it has a very minimal logging policy, which is good for privacy.

   The VPN is great at unblocking US and UK Netflix, but we’ve had less luck with BBC iPlayer. Some days it works and others it doesn’t. If iPlayer is your priority we recommend going with another provider.

   Highly-secure, but slower than competitors

   Astrill has its own DNS servers, which means your traffic will spend as little time as possible exposed to third parties, for the very best in security.

   We’ve noticed a slow-down from Astrill more recently which means it can no longer compete with the very fastest VPNs. Its track record in censored regions remains very strong, though, so we don’t think you should write it off too quickly.

   Astrill VPN is also the most expensive VPN on this list, so those looking for the best possible value for money might be better off turning to another VPN.

   Currently, Astrill doesn’t offer any kind of trial or refund period. We would really like to see it introduce one, particularly because of its high price point.

   Visit Astrill

   or read our full Astrill VPN Review.

2. 2. NordVPN: Best for Streaming in Turkey

   Reliably works with Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and even Disney+.

   

    94% 

   (246 user reviews)

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   Pros

   1. Zero logs logging policy
   2. Servers in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Israel
   3. Excellent local performance
   4. Has never leaked in our tests
   5. Allows access to iPlayer & Netflix

   Cons

   1. Has been successfully blocked in other censored regions
   2. Cannot access streaming sites when installed on a router

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 9.5/10

   This rating is calculated using the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing methodology for Turkey.

   • Bypassing Censorship:
     9.29.2/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     9.29.2/10
   • Logging Policy:
     9.99.9/10
   • Average Speed:
     9.99.9/10
   • Nearby Servers:
     8.98.9/10

   NordVPN is another solid choice for Turkey. On longer plans it is a great value VPN, 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	5,208
   Data Leaks	No
   Logging Policy	No Logs
   Top Download Speedi Based on 100Mbps local test connection	93Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$3.30/mo over 27 Months See all plans

   Reliable access to streaming services and P2P

   NordVPN is our top choice for streaming in Turkey. It reliably gets you access to BBC iPlayer, regional Netflix (including US & UK) and even to Disney+, which many top VPN providers haven’t been able to achieve.

   Some of the Turkey servers also support P2P traffic, which is great news for torrenters.

   We’ve also never seen NordVPN leak IP or DNS data, so you don’t have to worry about your ISP monitoring your activity. It comes with a kill switch, too, which is vital for using a VPN in 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 censorship infrastructure isn’t the same as that of the UAE or China, and it lacks some of their technical capability, so NordVPN shouldn’t stop working in Turkey any time soon. Still, it’s worth keeping in mind before signing up to a longer subscription.

   In October 2019 it also came to light that a NordVPN server had been breached by a hacker. No user information was taken, no data was logged, and the VPN encrypted tunnel wasn’t compromised.

   NordVPN has since removed the vulnerability responsible for the attack, and continues to use the top standard of encryption and security protocols.

   Visit NordVPN

   or read our full NordVPN Review.

3. 3. ExpressVPN: Best for Nearby Servers

   Easy to use, fast, and secure – with servers available in Cyprus, Greece, and Bulgaria.

   

    96% 

   (1,773 user reviews)

   Visit ExpressVPN

   Pros

   1. Excellent, reliable speeds
   2. Servers in Turkey, Greece, Georgia, Armenia & more
   3. Minimal logging policy
   4. Best obfuscation tools available
   5. No leaks in any of our tests

   Cons

   1. More expensive than alternatives

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 9.3/10

   This rating is calculated using the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing methodology for Turkey.

   • Bypassing Censorship:
     99.0/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     9.59.5/10
   • Logging Policy:
     9.69.6/10
   • Average Speed:
     9.29.2/10
   • Nearby Servers:
     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	Anonymous Server Usage Data
   Top Download Speedi Based on 100Mbps local test connection	88Mbps
   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 we’ve seen in the region. If you are 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.

   We’ve never seen ExpressVPN leak IP DNS or WebRTC information, and it comes with a kill switch feature so you can be confident that you won’t have your activity exposed if there is a drop in coverage.

   Minimal logs and a 30-day refund policy

   While not quite no-logs, ExpressVPN does maintain a very minimal logging policy. It only collects anonymized connection logs, though it would benefit from collecting even less.

   The apps are simple and easy to use on all devices, including Fire TV Stick. It can be installed at the router level, too, which makes it super easy to protect your media devices or smart TV. For this reason, it’s rated second in our list of the best VPNs for Kodi.

   Another bonus is ExpressVPN’s 30-day refund period. This allows you to get the VPN running before you arrive in Turkey, and if you find it doesn’t work once you get there, you can ask for your money back.

   We’re confident that you won’t need to return ExpressVPN – but it’s a bonus that the provider gives you the option.

   One drawback with ExpressVPN is that it’s fairly expensive on shorter plans. This is fine if you’ll need it for a long time, but if you only need the service for a few weeks you might want to seek out a cheaper alternative.

   Visit ExpressVPN

   or read our full ExpressVPN Review.

4. 4. PrivateVPN: Best Budget VPN for Turkey

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

   

    98% 

   (1,736 user reviews)

   Visit PrivateVPN

   Pros

   1. Stealth protocol works in Turkey
   2. Servers in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus & Israel
   3. Strict zero-logs policy
   4. Really great value for money
   5. Access to both Netflix & iPlayer

   Cons

   1. Small number of individual VPN servers

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 9.2/10

   This rating is calculated using the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing methodology for Turkey.

   • Bypassing Censorship:
     9.49.4/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     9.39.3/10
   • Logging Policy:
     9.59.5/10
   • Average Speed:
     8.98.9/10
   • Nearby Servers:
     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
   Top Download Speedi Based on 100Mbps local test connection	94Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$1.98/mo over 24 months 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.

   Visit PrivateVPN

   or read our full PrivateVPN Review.

5. 5. VyprVPN: Best for Advanced Users

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

   

    88% 

   (62 user reviews)

   Visit VyprVPN

   Pros

   1. Fast, consistent speeds
   2. Works for US & UK Netflix
   3. Servers in Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece & Israel
   4. Chameleon obfuscation protocol avoids detection
   5. Truly no-logs privacy policy

   Cons

   1. Inconsistent access since ban
   2. Limited online guides

   Overall Rating for Turkey: 8.7/10

   This rating is calculated using the following subcategory ratings. To learn more, read our testing methodology for Turkey.

   • Bypassing Censorship:
     8.88.8/10
   • Obfuscation Technology:
     9.49.4/10
   • Logging Policy:
     9.99.9/10
   • Average Speed:
     6.36.3/10
   • Nearby Servers:
     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
   Top Download Speedi Based on 100Mbps local test connection	77Mbps
   See all features
   Cheapest Price	$1.66/mo over 36 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.

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, Zenmate, 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.

It can use this to block VPN traffic when it identifies it, but it is nowhere near as effective as China’s Great Firewall.

For this reason, banned VPNs using obfuscation technology usually still work in Turkey despite the bans, including both ExpressVPN and VyprVPN.

Istanbul, Turkey. A group protests Turkey’s introduction of content filtering.

Is it Legal to Use a VPN in Turkey?

It is completely legal to use a VPN in Turkey. Though banned websites are blocked, 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
• Zenmate
• 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 to Get a Turkish IP Address

It’s extremely easy to get a Turkish IP address using a VPN. In fact, it’s much easier than trying to use a VPN from within Turkey.

First, make sure you subscribe to a VPN with servers in Turkey or nearby countries. The VPN services in this article do, but you can also check server locations on a VPN provider’s website.

To get a 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 location to an IP address in Turkey.

It’s as simple as that. You can then check your Turkish IP address using an IP checker tool.

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 Censorship: 30%

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. 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. Average Speed: 20%

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: 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.