Emergency Numbers in Turkey (2026)

112 is Turkey's unified emergency number, covering ambulance, police, and fire from a single call centre in every province. It is free, works 24/7, and can be dialled from any phone, including a mobile with no SIM card or no remaining credit.

No. Dialling 911 (US/Canada) or 999 (UK) in Turkey will not connect you to any emergency service. You must dial a Turkish number — 112 for ambulance/police/fire, or one of the specific numbers such as 155 (police), 156 (gendarmerie), or 114 (poison control).

Yes. 112 and Turkey's other emergency numbers work from any mobile phone, even without an active SIM card or any credit balance, in the same way 911 and 112 work across most countries. This does not apply to follow-up communication like sharing a location by text, which requires an active connection.

It varies by region. In major cities and tourist areas (Istanbul, Antalya, Izmir, Bodrum, Fethiye), many 112 operators speak conversational English or can quickly connect you to an interpreter. In smaller towns and rural areas, English support is much more limited. Saying "English" (İngilizce) as your first word after the call connects tends to get you routed to English-capable support fastest.

114 reaches the Ulusal Zehir Danışma Merkezi (UZEM), Turkey's National Poison Information Centre, run by the Ministry of Health. It operates 24/7 and advises on medication overdoses, chemical exposure, and accidental poisoning, including in children. It is a genuinely useful line to save if you have young children in the house.

ALO 183 is the Ministry of Family and Social Services' 24/7 hotline for domestic violence, child abuse, and elder or disability abuse — it connects to a counsellor who can dispatch police or gendarmerie jointly with social services. Separately, the free KADES mobile app lets anyone send police a one-tap emergency alert with their live location; it accepts registration with a foreign passport, so expat and immigrant women can use it too.

State hospital emergency departments provide emergency stabilising treatment regardless of ability to pay, including to tourists and uninsured foreigners, in line with Turkish law on emergency care. However, this does not mean the full cost of treatment, admission, surgery, or ongoing care is free — bills for anything beyond immediate life-saving stabilisation are typically charged, so travel and health insurance remain essential. Private hospitals will usually treat you first and settle payment or insurance afterward for a genuine emergency.

Say "English" first, then the emergency type in simple words: "ambulance", "fire", or "police". Give your location as clearly as you can — a landmark or business name often works better than a street address if you're unsure of the exact street name. If communication breaks down, share your GPS location by text or WhatsApp once you have a working number to send it to.

Look for the nöbetçi eczane (duty pharmacy) system — every district has at least one pharmacy open 24/7 on a nightly rotation. Any closed pharmacy will display a sign in its window naming that night's duty pharmacy and its address. You can also search "nöbetçi eczane [district name]" online, or use apps such as Happ Health or ecza.io that show the nearest open pharmacy on a map.

158 reaches the Sahil Güvenlik (Coast Guard), Turkey's maritime emergency and search-and-rescue service. Use it for boats in distress, swimmers in trouble, or other emergencies at sea. If 158 does not connect or you are unsure, 112 will relay your call to the Coast Guard as well.

Call Turkish emergency services (112 or the relevant specific number) first for anything requiring an immediate physical response — medical, fire, crime in progress, or a missing person. Contact your embassy afterward, or instead if the issue is a lost/stolen passport, an arrest, a death abroad, or repatriation — these are consular matters that Turkish emergency dispatch does not handle.

154 reaches Turkey's traffic police, who handle accident reports and paperwork for collisions without injuries. If anyone is injured, call 112 first so an ambulance is dispatched, and traffic police will typically attend the same scene.

Yes, private ambulance companies operate in most cities with a significant expat or tourist population and can sometimes respond faster than a public 112 ambulance for non-critical transport to a specific private hospital. Cost varies by provider, distance, and whether you have insurance coverage for it — ask your private hospital or insurer in advance which company they work with and what a call-out typically costs, since public price lists are not standardised nationally.

At minimum: 112, your home country embassy's emergency number, your private health insurer's assistance line, your nearest preferred private hospital's direct number, and your home address written out in Turkish (mahalle and sokak). If you have children, also save 114 (poison control) and consider installing the free KADES app in advance.

No — 112 and Turkey's other emergency numbers are free to call from any phone, including foreign SIM cards while roaming and mobiles with no SIM at all. This mirrors how emergency numbers work in the EU and most other countries.