Internet censorship in Turkey is very strict, with numerous apps and websites featured on the ban list. This is unfortunate for the 42 million internet users in the country who cannot access sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and many more. There is some good news, though, as by using a VPN, you can overcome the strict censorship. The even better news is that we are going to recommend the best VPN for Turkey by way of our top 3 choices for 2024.
A VPN or Virtual Private Network, to use its full name, offers many benefits. Of course, a plan can be used to overcome censorship and access blocked sites, but this is just a small part of what the service offers.
Why Do You Need a VPN in Turkey?
There are numerous reasons why people search for the best VPN in Turkey. We are going to talk about some of the reasons below, which will give you a better understanding of how powerful this kind of solution is and why it is so popular.
Bypassing censorship
Bypassing the strict censorship ruling in the country is a primary reason for taking out a subscription.
Turkish citizens and visitors can overcome the restrictions on apps and websites thanks to the encryption provided. In fact, you can unblock any website you want.
When you have found the best VPN for Turkey, signed up, and connected to a server, any data you send over the internet is encrypted. This means the ISP does not know what websites you want to visit, so it cannot put blocks in place.
Safety and security against hackers
That same encrypted tunnel provides protection against hackers obtaining your personal information.
While anyone who uses the internet should consider signing up, anyone who banks online should seriously consider using a Virtual Private Network. With encryption in place, your account numbers, passwords, and any other details remain secure, as no one can read them.
Information is decrypted only when it reaches its destination.
Anonymity online
With a Virtual Private Network, you can hide your online activities from your ISP, along with anyone else who might be looking.
Hide your online activities with ExpressVPN now >
In high censorship countries, freedom of speech is a thing of the past. If you use social media, post on news websites, or write in forums, what you say may be classed as being offensive.
The government has had people arrested in the country for speaking their minds, so you really have to watch what you say and do online to avoid prosecution.
A Virtual Private Network helps with this, as you can remain anonymous online by masking your true IP address and taking one on from a server halfway around the world. Of course, you can also benefit from the encrypted tunnel put into place.
Avoiding geo-restrictions in Turkey
If you visit the country, you will find that you cannot access your local Netflix subscription to watch your favorite series. This applies to any other local channel that you usually stream online from your home country.
Again, using a Virtual Private Network can help you overcome geo-restrictions by choosing a server from your country.
For instance, if you want to watch US Netflix in Turkey, you would choose a server from the United States. You then take on an American IP address and the ISP believes you are located in the USA.
You can then access the US version instead of the local version of Netflix.
Some of the best VPNs in Turkey offer access to thousands of blazing fast servers, so you can beat restrictions and stream in HD.
Privacy when torrenting
We cannot stress enough why using a Virtual Private Network when torrenting is essential.
Your ISP knows what websites you visit and what you download. If you are torrenting and downloading copyrighted content, the ISP will find out and you will receive a warning.
However, if you are behind an encrypted tunnel and have an alternate IP address, the ISP has no idea of what you do online, so you can torrent in privacy.
Along with this, when you torrent, other users see your IP address. By hiding it and taking on an alternate one, you are not exposing your own.
Is It Legal to Use a Virtual Private Network in Turkey?
As a Virtual Private Network helps to overcome censorship and geo-restrictions, the use of the service has given the Turkish government cause for concern.
To reflect this, the government began targeting VPNs to try to put a stop to them. As such, visiting the website of a Virtual Private Network provider in the country is extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Thankfully, the three best VPNs in Turkey we list here do have servers that still work in the country.
To be on the safe side, you might want to sign up with your chosen provider and install the apps before visiting the country.
Our Choice of the 3 Best VPN VPNs for Turkey
So, what are the best VPN providers in Turkey? Check out our choices below to find out along with why we chose them.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our top choice of provider for beating censorship, overcoming geo-restrictions, and providing security and safety abroad.
The provider offers access to 3,000 blazing fast servers, making them suitable for streaming Netflix in HD. Or you can also use it to watch streaming of the F1 championship.
ExpressVPN supports P2P file sharing and has a strict no-logging policy. This means they do not keep data about how you use the service so they cannot be requested to hand it over by authorities.
Also, it is good to note that the leading auditing company PwC has recently audited the company and its privacy policy.
When it comes to encryption, ExpressVPN is second-to-none. The provider relies on 256-bit encryption with the OpenVPN protocol. However, there are other choices of protocols from which to choose.
Another reason we believe ExpressVPN deserves the top place in our list of the best VPN for Turkey is the sheer number of devices the provider covers with apps. These include anything from Windows PCs to Android, routers, and more.
It is also important to note that these apps are really easy to use.
You can get a 49% discount when taking out a yearly plan with the provider. Plus, ExpressVPN gives you three months free. In effect, this means you get a 15-month plan for the price of the annual one.
Finally, ExpressVPN offers reliable 24-hour live chat support and a risk-free money-back guarantee for 30 days.
- 94 countries covered
- Good speed
- Unblocks Netflix
- Fast client support
- Split tunneling
- Secure network
- Strong encryption
- A bit pricey
Beat censorship in Turkey with ExpressVPN >
2. NordVPN
With strong encryption, thousands of worldwide servers, and a no-logs policy, NordVPN also deserve a place among the best VPN providers for Turkey.
If torrenting is your thing, this is a provider well worth considering. NordVPN offers servers dedicated to P2P sharing. Users can choose Onion over VPN or the Double VPN solution, which means connecting to two servers at the same time.
NordVPN is also a good choice for high censorship countries such as Turkey, Russia, and China. The provider supports AES-256 military-grade encryption along with various protocols including NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP.
The provider offers protection and security for various devices. They also include the CyberSec feature. This is a suite of apps that help block malicious websites and apps, along with blocking ads.
Why not check out our full review process on VPN providers to understand more about how we do all of our testings?
- 5,600+ servers in 60 countries
- Double VPN function
- P2P allowed
- A good solution to fight censorship
- Easy-to-use applications
- Kill Switch
- Expensive short-term plans
Torrent in safety with NordVPN now >
3. Surfshark
Surfshark is among the most affordable solutions for a Virtual Private Network but the provider does not skimp on features.
One area where the provider particularly stands out is the fact that it’s offering a plan for use on unlimited devices. Other providers state a limit. With various apps for devices available, all the family can benefit and this is one good reason to consider Surfshark among the best VPN in Turkey.
Surprisingly, Surfshark also offers a feature that one of the more expensive providers offers, Double VPN. Surfshark calls it Multi-hop and it’s actually a bit better than Double VPN. Here, your connection “jumps” between multiple servers, making it impossible to trace.
Another feature is the Camouflage mode, which comes in extremely handy for those who wish to remain anonymous and stop their ISP from spying on them. This also comes in handy if you torrent often.
Finally, the provider offers a feature to stop ads along with phishing attempts. This means you put an end to people tracking you.
- No logs
- Ad-blocker
- 24/7 live chat support
- Very cheap 2 years plan
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- 1-month subscription is expensive
- “Only” 1,700 servers
Remain anonymous with Surfshark >
To Summarize
What are the best VPN providers 2024 for Turkey? We highly recommend ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark. All three providers offer superb encryption, mask your IP address, offer thousands of global servers, and much more.
All you have to do to protect yourself online and overcome geo-restrictions is to:
- Choose a provider and sign up for a plan.
- Decide on the apps you want to install and download them.
- Launch the installed app.
- Choose a server from the list (pick one from a country that doesn’t censor anything).
- Connect to the server and that’s it! You are now behind a virtual tunnel and your IP address is masked.
Congratulations, you can now overcome censorship, geo-restrictions, stream HD content from Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more while being abroad.
A professional writer with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since his youngest age, he loves everything related to internet, technology, fitness, games, and dogs! He joined our team in order to bring his deep knowledge in security services, among which VPN is of course a key component.
