5 VPNs that work in Turkey – Tested, approved in 2025

The landscape of privacy and freedom in Turkey has presented significant challenges, beginning with the initial blockage in 2018 and extending to further restrictions in December 2023. This crackdown affected numerous popular VPN services including NordVPN, Cyberghost, Hidemyass, ExpressVPN, and PureVPN. The most recent ban has also impacted Surfshark, ProtonVPN, and SuperVPN.

While some VPN providers have opted to withdraw from the Turkish market, others are determined not to forfeit the substantial user base in Turkey. Consequently, VPN services have devised various solutions, such as offering their services through mirror websites and circumventing the blockage via alternative protocols.

As a native resident of Turkey, I’m here to provide insight into VPN services that continue to work effectively within the country. I’ll not only compile a list of these services but also assist you in selecting the right solution tailored to your internet service provider. Together, we’ll navigate through these challenges to ensure your online privacy and freedom are preserved.

Stay tuned!

Here is a quick list of the best VPN services for Turkey:

1. VeePN: Best option. Accessible to all internet service providers. Worldwide server coverage. Affordable VPN.
Website access ✓; No log ✓, Speed (Super Fast), Streaming servers ✓; Vodafone ✓, Türk Telekom ✓, Turkcell ✓, TurkNet ✓.

2. Surfshark: Accessible through mirror links, reasonable pricing, and unlimited simultaneous connections.
Website access ✓; No log ✓, Speed (Superfast), Streaming servers ✓; Vodafone ✕, Türk Telekom ✓, Turkcell ✕, TurkNet ✓.

3. TotalVPN: Budget-friendly, all-in-one solution. It works with all internet providers. Useful extra features.
Website access ✓; No log ✓, Speed (Fast), Streaming servers ✕,; Vodafone ✓, Türk Telekom ✓, Turkcell ✓, TurkNet ✓.

4. ExpressVPN: Accessible through mirror links, and servers in 105 different countries. It may not work with all providers.
Website access ✓; No log ✓, Speed (Fast), Streaming servers ✓; Vodafone ✓, Türk Telekom ✓, Turkcell ✓, TurkNet ✓.

5. StrongVPN: US-based provider. Limited coverage. It works with all internet providers*
Website access ✓; No log ✕, Speed (Super Fast), Streaming servers ✓; Vodafone ✓, Türk Telekom ✓, Turkcell✓, TurkNet ✓.

How did I choose the working VPNs in Turkey?

Selecting the best VPN for Turkey can indeed be challenging. As a Turkish citizen, I have to guide you in the right direction. To identify the top VPNs for Turkey, I’ve employed a range of criteria, including:

1. Accessibility: Ensuring that the VPN website remains accessible while in Turkey is crucial. This accessibility allows you to download the necessary apps and complete your purchase without hindrance.
2. VPN Connection Establishment: With Turkey imposing restrictions on VPN connections, it’s a must to choose providers whose services remain unblocked by ISPs. This ensures the ability to establish secure VPN connections and change your IP address.
3. No-Log Policy: Given Turkey’s data retention laws, it’s essential to select VPNs with robust no-log policies. This ensures your online activities remain private and protected.
4. Speed Performance: Opting for a VPN service that offers fast performance is vital. Slow VPN connections can significantly impact your online browsing and social media experience, so prioritizing speed is key.
5. Price/Performance Ratio: Investing a hefty sum in a VPN service isn’t necessary. Hence, I’ve ensured that the VPNs on this list offer the best price-to-performance ratio, providing excellent value without breaking the bank.

By considering these criteria, I’ve curated a list of VPN services tailored to meet the unique needs of users in Turkey; ensuring privacy, accessibility, and performance are all prioritized.

5 Best VPNs that work in Turkey

The following section will serve as your guide to selecting the best VPN services and understanding their current status in Turkey. Additionally, you’ll gain insights into choosing the right VPN that seamlessly integrates with your home and mobile internet provider.

For a comprehensive overview, be sure to review the table provided at the end of the listing. This table will offer detailed information to help you make an informed decision regarding the VPN service that best suits your needs and preferences in Turkey.

1. VeePN

VeePN emerges as a newcomer in the VPN service arena, flying under the radar with minimal coverage from news outlets or tech blogs. This low profile has allowed VeePN’s website to remain accessible in Turkey, with compatibility across all internet service providers.

However, it’s crucial to note a limitation regarding protocols in Turkey. Presently, VeePN can only assign IP addresses through Wireguard and OpenVPN UTP protocols. Other protocols won’t allow users to get an IP address and bypass VPN censorship in Turkey.

Despite this limitation, VeePN stands out as a privacy-friendly VPN provider, operating under Panama’s jurisdiction, where there are no data retention laws. This ensures that your online activities, including visited websites, remain untracked.

In terms of speed performance, VeePN has historically ranked as the worst-performing provider in our tests. However, the latest test conducted through the UK-London server yielded a download speed of 518.62 Mbps, marking a significant improvement of at least 3x on VeePN servers.

Opting for VeePN grants users access to 10 simultaneous connections, a free NAT firewall, AdBlocker, P2P-allowed servers, and unlimited traffic, all for as little as $2.49 per month. This remarkable deal positions VeePN as the most budget-friendly and functional VPN solution available in Turkey.

2. Surfshark

Surfshark previously held the title of the top VPN provider in Turkey, operating seamlessly without any issues until December 2023. However, the latest wave of blockages severely impacted Surfshark, leading to the throttling of its website and certain VPN protocols by the BTK (Information and Communication Technologies Authority), rendering Surfshark inoperable in Turkey.

Following this setback, Surfshark swiftly responded by launching an alternative mirror link, srfshrk.com, enabling Turkish visitors to access its services. Additionally, its OpenVPN UTP protocol facilitates connections to available servers. Notably, this heavy blockage affects users with Turkcell mobile / Superonline and Vodafone ISP; users with other internet providers experience no connection issues with Surfshark.

Setting aside the blockage, Surfshark, headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, prioritizes genuine privacy and security, strengthened by offshore assurances. This commitment translates into no logging of online activities or personal data. Moreover, RAMDisk technology is integrated into Surfshark’s server structure, rendering tracking virtually impossible.

For those seeking peace of mind with privacy, Surfshark also delivers exceptional speed performance. In recent speed tests conducted on London, UK servers, download speeds reached an impressive 569.89 Mbps. With Surfshark, users can enjoy seamless browsing, streaming, and torrenting, along with the ability to bypass geo-restrictions on various platforms worldwide.

Furthermore, Surfshark offers a budget-friendly starting plan at $2.29 per month, inclusive of unlimited simultaneous connections. Monthly payments may vary depending on the selected plan, ranging upwards of $4+ per month.

3. TotalVPN

TotalVPN, based in the United Kingdom, is a relatively new VPN service on the market that is little known in Turkey. TotalVPN appears to have escaped the authorities’ radar by keeping a low profile, and it is one of the VPN services that is still accessible and functional in Turkey.

TotalVPN also includes several additional features, including AntiVirus, Ad Blocker, WebShield, Password Vault, and so on. TotalVPN is very simple to use, and you can change your IP address with a few clicks. One of the things I dislike about TotalVPN is that there is no search bar when searching for a server, and we must select the server we want to connect to from a list. Furthermore, in some cases, the connection cannot be established, and it may be necessary to connect to a different server to resolve the issue.

We mentioned that TotalVPN is based in the United Kingdom. This means that the company is bound by UK law and must adhere to its requirements. Although the company guarantees to protect user data, if you have any privacy concerns, I recommend that you read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy on the official website.

TotalVPN has above-average speed and performance. In the speed test I ran by connecting to Total VPN’s UK server, I achieved 371.39 Mbps, which is more than adequate for daily internet use.

TotalVPN is not only a low-cost option, but it also allows for six simultaneous connections on one account. TotalVPN premium memberships, which include additional features such as an ad blocker, antivirus, and malware checker, start at $1.59 per month for the first year.

4. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN remains a prominent player in the Turkish VPN landscape, despite facing multiple bans. Through the use of mirror websites, the company ensures continuous accessibility, redirecting users to functional variants if any version of the ExpressVPN website is blocked.

However, accessibility doesn’t guarantee seamless functionality in Turkey, as the government also blocks VPN protocols. Consequently, we advise against using ExpressVPN if you use Superonline at home or Turkcell as your mobile internet provider. Nonetheless, users with other ISPs in Turkey shouldn’t encounter any issues.

Like many other VPN providers, ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands and adheres to a strict no-log policy. To further bolster privacy, ExpressVPN operates its infrastructure on RAMDisk servers, preventing server-side logging.

While ExpressVPN was once known for being the slowest yet most stable VPN provider, extensive server investment and expansion have led to significant speed improvements. Users can now enjoy download speeds of up to 449.54 Mbps and upload speeds of 420.56 Mbps with RAM disk servers across 105 countries.

One of the primary drawbacks of ExpressVPN is its limitation to 8 simultaneous connections. Additionally, its cheapest plan starts at $6.67 per month, making it slightly pricier compared to other options.

5. StrongVPN

StrongVPN has never been targeted or blocked by Turkish ISPs because it is a relatively unknown VPN service. Regardless of your ISP, you can browse the StrongVPN website, make a payment, and download the service.

While accessibility is not an issue, it appears that Turkcell/Superonline is blocking some of StrongVPN protocols. You can bypass the restrictions, by using the “OpenVPN – Scramble” function or IKev2 protocol in the settings menu. The other ISP does not block any of StrongVPN’s protocols.

Aside from accessibility, StrongVPN is a US-based company that follows US law. In other words, it must retain user data. StrongVPN, on the other hand, claims that it keeps no activity records. Just a friendly reminder: do not use StrongVPN for any illegal activities. Your primary goal should be to bypass censorship and gain access to a restricted website.

Another issue I have with StrongVPN is the lack of server coverage. According to the provider, they have servers available in 30 different locations. This may be insufficient depending on your needs. The speed, on the other hand, will appeal to you! In our extensive testing, StrongVPN proved to be one of the fastest VPN providers with 221.99 Mbps.

Last but not least, StrongVPN provides a lightning-fast VPN experience starting at $3.97 per month. You may use the service on up to 12 devices at the same time. If you are dissatisfied with the service, you can get your money back within 30 days.

VPN services and their working status per ISP in Turkey

VPN blockage and censorship in Turkey

Censorship in Turkey underwent a significant shift following the 2013 scandal, leading to the government’s decision to block access to platforms like YouTube and Twitter. Thereafter, as news websites began disseminating information about VPNs to circumvent these restrictions, DNS services and VPN providers emerged as prime targets for the Information and Technology Agency (BTK).

In response, the BTK developed a unique filter to block major DNS resolvers and VPN services. This filter was later mandated by legislation, requiring ISPs to incorporate it into their services. Failure to comply with BTK standards could result in fines of up to $50,000 for ISPs.

However, these measures proved insufficient, prompting the BTK to escalate its efforts by acquiring Sandvine’s “Deep Packet Inspection” software. Türk Telekom, Turkey’s largest internet network, was the first to implement this technology in 2014, followed by Turkcell and Vodafone joining the VPN blockage efforts in 2018.

Today, every internet service provider in Turkey is mandated to use the BTK filter and analyze VPN connections. The head of the BTK underscores the significance of these measures about the filter.

• …VPN apps, offering private access to blocked websites, can change their IP addresses and bypass methods. The very reason is that they are being used in this way: Bypassing censorship. This is a global problem. We took precautions on these apps and now we are testing new tools. Once the tests are done, we will move step by step…*

* Partial translation of Turkish news.

Here comes the most important question…

Why does Turkey go so hard on VPN services?

I will answer this question in the following section. You will probably understand why you should use a VPN service in Turkey.

How does a VPN help you in Turkey?

Turkey ranks among the most restrictive countries regarding online freedom. The government tightly controls access to information, permitting only content deemed appropriate by authorities. Any content considered objectionable risks being blocked, rendering the service or website inaccessible. Additionally, the government’s efforts to monitor online activities are evident in legislation mandating ISPs to retain user logs for a minimum of two years.

Considering the myriad of challenges facing internet users in Turkey, it becomes evident why utilizing a VPN service is crucial.

Using a VPN can help you:

• Prevent ISP tracking

In Turkey, ISPs are required to store records of all websites visited by users. However, when using a VPN, your IP address is masked, and your data is encrypted, making it impossible for your ISP to determine which websites you’re accessing. Therefore, if privacy is your foremost concern in Turkey, opting for a reliable, no-log VPN is an ideal solution.

• Accessing betting and porn websites

Gambling is strictly prohibited in Turkey, constituting a 100% illegal activity. It is strongly advised against accessing any gambling website within the country, regardless of whether you’re using a VPN or not. However, it’s worth noting that betting websites are legal in Turkey, with several options available.

Nevertheless, your native betting platform may not be accessible from Turkey due to geographical restrictions. In such cases, a VPN service can prove invaluable by providing you with an IP address from your homeland, allowing you to access your preferred betting platform once again.

Furthermore, the majority of adult websites, including popular ones such as xhamster.com, pornhub.com, porntube.com, youjizz.com, xnxx.com, and paid modeling platforms like onlyfans.com, are blocked in Turkey. To bypass these restrictions and gain access to adult content, a VPN can be an effective solution.

• Bypass throttling

BTK can slow down any website they desire. Following the March 2016 Istanbul bombing and the assassination of Andrei Karlov, social media users experienced slowdowns on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. In other words, during that time, BTK throttled the internet. By avoiding ISP throttling, a VPN service can help you access any content you want.

• Use booking.com

Booking.com is accessible in Turkey. But you can’t use it. Booking.com was banned by the Turkish court due to repeated contradictions between it and TURSAB.

According to the lawyers of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB),

• Netherlands-based Booking.com was engaging in unfair competition in the marketing of hotels in Turkey. 

When you visit booking.com from Turkey, you will be notified that you are unable to use it. Using a VPN will allow you to change your Turkish IP address and book your preferred hotel room as if you were in your hometown.

• Access geo-restricted content

Many platforms must stick to copyright policies and limit their services to specific IP ranges, particularly streaming services for sports events. To bypass such restrictions and continue streaming your favorite events, you can get an IP address from countries where the service is available using a VPN.

FAQ about VPN usage in Turkey

Here are the frequently asked questions about VPN usage in Turkey.

Summing up the working VPNs in Turkey

In our article, we followed a structured approach. Firstly, we focused on identifying VPN websites accessible within the country. Subsequently, we conducted comprehensive testing by downloading and evaluating each provider across all major internet service providers in Turkey, including Turk Telekom, Turkcell/Superonline, Vodafone, Kablo Net, and TurkNet. While the recommended VPNs are compatible with all providers, navigating Turkey’s VPN ban may require some technical expertise.

Additionally, we ensured that the selected VPN providers offered essential features such as a no-log policy, specialized streaming servers, and diverse protocols. These features facilitate compliance with Turkey’s two-year data retention law, circumvention of website restrictions, access to streaming services, and overall freedom of internet usage in Turkey.

Our top choices, namely VeePN, Surfshark, TotalVPN, ExpressVPN, and StrongVPN, emerged as reliable options. These services are accessible in Turkey via their main or mirror websites and are compatible with all internet providers. However, it’s essential to be cautious of potential blockages from Super Online / Turkcell providers, in which case Surfshark or ExpressVPN may not be the preferred choices.

Burak Kara

I’m a part-time traveler on a mission: to explore the world and uncover the intricate demands of VPN usage. Fueled by curiosity, I meticulously navigate the realms of privacy, streaming, and unblocking needs in every destination I visit. With a keen eye, I analyze the local and global VPN demands of each country, translating my findings into informative articles about VPN-related topics.