A Turkey flat rate (Türkei-Flat) pays off if you call Turkey regularly every month and mostly dial landline numbers: those calls are then covered by your monthly fee, and you no longer have to count minutes. If you mainly call Turkish mobile numbers, however, the word "flat" is not what matters – the number of free minutes to Turkish mobile networks is. This guide shows how to work out what you actually need, when a minute bundle is cheaper, whether you should add an option or switch tariffs, and which clauses in the small print are important.
Key points at a glance
- In many tariffs, a Turkey flat rate only covers calls from Germany to Turkish landlines. For Turkish mobile numbers there is usually a fixed allowance of minutes.
- Turkey is not part of the EU. The EU price cap for international calls therefore does not apply to calls to Turkey.
- A minute bundle is cheaper if you only call occasionally; a flat rate pays off once you make several longer calls a week.
- An option can often be added and cancelled monthly. Switching tariffs makes sense if you need more data or a new contract anyway.
- Even a flat rate is meant for personal use. Read the fair use rules before you sign up.
What exactly is a Turkey flat rate?
A Turkey flat rate is a tariff feature under which calls from Germany to certain Turkish networks are included in the monthly fee without a per-minute charge. Each provider decides which networks are covered – and that is exactly where the differences lie.
In the simplest case, the flat rate applies to the Turkish landline network, meaning numbers with an area code such as 212 for the European side of Istanbul or 352 for Kayseri. Some tariffs add a free-minute allowance to Turkish mobile networks on top of this landline flat rate. A true flat rate to all Turkish networks is rarer and usually tied to more expensive tariffs.
The term is also used for two different kinds of product. With some brands, the Turkey flat rate is a fixed part of the tariff, such as the Ay Yildiz Türkei Flat, which is built into the brand's tariffs. With other providers, it is an add-on option that you book on top of your existing mobile contract. For an overview of this brand's tariffs, its network and contract terms, see our guide Ay Yildiz tariffs explained.
The direction of the call matters too. The flat rate applies to calls you start in Germany. If you are in Turkey yourself and make calls from there, roaming prices apply, and these have nothing to do with the Turkey flat rate.
Turkey flat rate or minute bundle – which is cheaper?
A minute bundle is cheaper if you only call Turkey a few times a month for short calls; a Turkey flat rate becomes cheaper as soon as you call regularly and at length. What decides is not the product name but the number of minutes you actually use.
Without a suitable feature in your tariff, calls to Turkey are billed per minute. For calls to EU countries there is a legal cap of 19 cents per minute plus VAT, as the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband) explains. Turkey is not an EU member and is not covered by this rule. Providers are free to set their own per-minute price, and without an option it can be considerably higher.
| Feature | Minute bundle | Turkey flat rate |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | fixed allowance, then a per-minute price | calls to the covered networks with no per-minute price |
| Suitable for | occasional, short calls | several longer calls a week |
| Networks covered | often landline and mobile together | often landline only, mobile via free minutes |
| Cost risk | extra charges once the allowance is used up | low, as long as you only call covered numbers |
| Flexibility | often available monthly | monthly as an option, tied to the contract term as part of a tariff |
An example: a family of four in Moers calls the grandmother in Kayseri, who only has a landline, twice a week. Each call lasts about half an hour. That adds up to around 260 minutes a month – a small minute bundle is not enough, while a landline flat rate covers everything.
Does the flat rate cover landline and mobile numbers in Turkey?
In many tariffs, the Turkey flat rate only covers landline numbers; calls to Turkish mobile numbers come out of a separate free-minute allowance or are billed per minute. So always check which numbers in Turkey you actually call.
You can recognise Turkish mobile numbers by the prefix that starts with a 5 after the country code +90, for example +90 5xx. Landline numbers start with the area code after +90, such as 2 or 3.
Many older relatives still have a landline, while siblings, cousins and friends can almost only be reached by mobile. If you call both groups, you need a landline flat rate and enough free minutes to Turkish mobile networks. Once the allowance is used up, you pay for every extra minute.
Calls over the internet using a messenger app are an alternative that uses no minutes. But they only work if the person you are calling also has a stable internet connection and knows how to use the app.
How many minutes to Turkey do you really need?
The most reliable way to find out how many minutes you need is to look at your own itemised bill for the last three months. In our experience, estimates are often wrong, because long calls on holidays or at family events are easily forgotten.
- Open your itemised bill: Download the overview for the last three months from your provider's app or customer portal.
- Filter Turkish numbers: Mark all calls to numbers starting with +90 or 0090.
- Separate landline and mobile: Count the minutes to numbers starting with +90 5 separately from the landline minutes.
- Work out the monthly average: Divide both totals by three. Use the busiest month as a safety margin.
- Compare tariffs: Put the two figures next to the service description: is the landline flat rate enough, and do the free minutes cover your mobile minutes?
If you regularly go over the allowance for Turkish mobile numbers, a tariff with a larger bundle is often better value than the lowest monthly fee.
Add an option or switch tariffs – which makes more sense?
Adding an option makes more sense if your current contract otherwise suits you and you only want cheaper calls to Turkey; switching tariffs makes more sense if you need more data, a new smartphone or a shorter contract anyway. Either way, work out the total cost.
The advantage of an add-on option is that you keep your number, your contract and your contract term. Many options can be booked and cancelled monthly, for example only for the months in which you call a lot. The downside: the monthly fee and the option price add up, and some options only cover landlines.
Switching tariffs pays off above all if your contract is ending anyway. Under Section 56 of the Telecommunications Act (TKG), you can cancel a mobile contract at any time after the minimum term with one month's notice. The initial term may be no longer than 24 months. You keep your number when you switch, so your family in Turkey can still reach you on the same number.
For tariffs with a built-in Turkey flat rate, we deliberately do not quote monthly prices here, because providers change their terms and promotions regularly. You can find the current features directly on the Ay Yildiz website. To see how we compare mobile contracts for private customers and handle the switch for you, visit our page on mobile contracts and our switching service.
What should you look out for in the small print of a "flat rate"?
Above all, check which numbers are covered, whether the flat rate only applies to calls from Germany, and which fair use rules apply. These three points decide whether a flat rate is truly unlimited in everyday use.
Fair use rules mean that the flat rate is intended for normal personal calls. In their terms and conditions, providers usually exclude reselling minutes, using them for call centres, or using up minutes automatically and continuously through technical devices. If you are simply calling your family, you will rarely hit this limit.
You should also check these points:
- Special numbers: Service, premium-rate and satellite numbers are almost always excluded, even if they start with +90.
- Shared allowances: Some tariffs combine free minutes for Turkey and for EU countries into one single allowance. If you also call Poland or Bulgaria, it runs out faster.
- Promotion period: Does the flat rate apply permanently or only for the first months of a promotion?
- Automatic renewal: Does a booked option renew itself every month until you cancel it?
- Staying in Turkey: To make calls and use mobile data there, you need a separate roaming option. The EU roaming rules described by the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) do not apply in Turkey.
If you are unsure what a clause means, simply bring the service description to our shop. You can find more guides on mobile, internet and energy in the Connected Mobile blog.
What do customers most often ask about the Turkey flat rate?
Can I use the Turkey flat rate to call Germany from Turkey?
Usually not. The Turkey flat rate applies to calls you start in Germany. When you are in Turkey, your tariff's roaming prices or a separate travel option apply.
Do calls to Turkish mobile numbers count towards the flat rate?
That depends on the tariff. Often the flat rate only covers landlines, and calls to numbers starting with +90 5 come out of your free minutes. Check the service description before you sign up.
Is a Turkey flat rate worth it if I mostly call via messenger apps?
Usually not. If your relatives can be reached reliably via an app, a tariff with enough data is often sufficient. A flat rate pays off mainly for calls to landlines or to people without a smartphone.
Can I book the Turkey flat rate for just a few months?
As an add-on option, many providers allow this, because it can be booked and cancelled monthly. If the flat rate is a fixed part of a contract, it applies for the entire term.
How does Connected Mobile help you choose a Turkey flat rate?
We go through your calls to Turkey with you, compare options and tariffs, and handle the switch, including number porting and cancelling your old contract. Connected Mobile offers face-to-face advice in Moers and Duisburg in German, Turkish, Kurdish or Arabic – so questions about the small print can be cleared up calmly.
For the first step, all you need is your itemised bill or your latest phone bill. Bring it to our shop or send us the documents via WhatsApp; you will find all ways to contact us on our homepage for private customers. Bring your latest phone bill, and we will work out with you whether a Turkey flat rate pays off.