Best VPN for Turkey in 2019

Using a VPN to protect your identity online as well as all the data your transfer through your internet connection is becoming more and more important to all internet users. This is never more the case than those who are accessing the internet in Turkey where censorship laws and government surveillance of online activity is rife.

Those that are used to the laws of most Western European countries or the US will be shocked by the amount of content that is restricted to them once they enter Turkey and are accessing the internet through a Turkish IP address.

Turkish law requires ISPs to maintain data logs of its users for two years and over 30,000 websites are blocked to people who are residing in Turkey.

However, to get around these obstacles and to have a browsing session where you are safe from prying Government eyes or hackers, a VPN will offer a great deal of security. That being said, the VPN market is huge now that their importance and popularity have soared. Here, in this guide to the best VPNs for Turkey, we look at the top three providers who can offer subscribers a safe and secure connection even with a Turkish ISP.

The Best VPN For Turkey is Express VPN – Also, they have a special deal for SecureThoughts readers: 3 months free with 49% savings on their annual plan.

The Best VPNs for Turkey

#1: ExpressVPN – SPECIAL DEAL (3 months free)

We continually rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN out there as it is able to provide such a reliable service time and time again. This is the case, whatever country you in, but it is incredibly important for those that want to use a VPN in Turkey. This is due to the confidence that that reliable service can provide customers with respect to the privacy they seek as well as the ability to work around geo restrictions in place due to censorship laws.

Also, ExpressVPN is offering SecureThoughts readers a special deal: 3 months free with 49% savings on their annual plan

It is outstanding due to so many added features too. These are:

• Unlimited bandwidth –  All of their plans come with unlimited bandwidth, so they’re great for streaming and downloading content when you are in another country like Turkey trying to watch your favorite boxset on Netflix
• Huge Network –  With a network of servers spanning 97 cities around the world, they have the means of keeping up with the activity of all of their customers, so your connection is always lightning fast.
• Fantastic Customer Support Service –  Definitely the biggest selling point of Express VPN though is their customer support. With representatives available round the clock to answer your questions through live chat or email, you’re never in the dark for long. Their average response time for email inquiries is less than 20 minutes, which is easily the best response time on the market. So even if you are in Turkey suffering from an issue, you know you can get it sorted.
• Easy to use –  ExpressVPN’s software is incredibly user friendly too, making it great for beginners who may want to get past Turkish censorship, but are a bit intimidated by the idea of using a VPN.
• Compatible with all operating software – You can use Express VPN on any operating system, and even have up to three simultaneous connections to protect both your mobile and home devices.
• Money Back Guarantee – If all of these features still do not suit you, or ExpressVPN does not quite suit your requirements when you are traveling in Turkey, the company offers a fantastic money back guarantee. You can try it for 30 days before making up your mind. ExpressVPN never questions why you want a full refund either – they just simply return your subscription fee.

Click to go to ExpressVPN and start using the best VPN we found for Turkey, or Read our ExpressVPN review.

#2: IPVanish

If ExpressVPN does not quite work out for you for whatever reason, IPVanish provides an excellent alternative with low monthly rates. The main drawback we found, when directly compared to ExpressVPN, was the fact that its customer service was that much slower at getting back to its customers regarding queries it has. However, while their customer support isn’t quite as on the ball as ExpressVPN’s, they are available 24/7 and do have a live chat feature.

However, it has a whole host of other features that do make it an attractive proposition, regardless of its coming second best to ExpressVPN.

• Money Back Guarantee – While not as long as ExpressVPN’s money back guarantee, IPVanish subscribers can still request a full refund after two weeks if they don’t get along with it.
• Slick interface –  IPVanish’s software is very sleek and easy to use, and not overwhelming with advanced settings to confuse VPN newbies, almost as easy as Express VPN’s software. This is great news to those that are signing up while in Turkey travelling.
• Simultaneous connections – IPVanish allow up to two simultaneous connections, and have completely unlimited bandwidth, so they’re great for Netflix addicts and Pandora Radio listeners who are travelling in Turkey.
• Software Compatibility – Whether you are travelling to Turkey using a device that runs on Android or iOS or Linux operating software or using a Windows or Mac device, you will still be able to use IPVanish as a VPN provider.

While IPVanish isn’t quite as good as ExpressVPN, they have a comparable list of features that makes them a good backup plan. IPVanish can be found at this website.

#3: HideMyAss

If IPVanish and ExpressVPN aren’t available to you for whatever reason, HideMyAss is a VPN provider that could address your needs while you are away traveling in Turkey. This is down to their large selection of servers which is huge, with 151 locations worldwide. The problem is that sometimes they are noticeably slower and that bit more unreliable than either of our first two recommendations. That being said, they will still be able to answer any content unblocking needs.

There are other benefits to choosing HideMyAss as your VPN provider for your travels to Turkey.

• Good customer support – while no provider’s customer support will match ExpressVPN’s, HideMyAss still offers their customer service 24/7. This support is available through phone support, live chat and email.
• Multi Software Compatibility- Like ExpressVPN, HideMyAss’s software is compatible with all devices, so it’s great for people that use a menagerie of gadgets on the go.

HideMyAss link to open an account here.

Privacy Laws and Regulations For Online Content in Turkey

Using a VPN is not illegal in many countries around the world, which is the case in Turkey too. However, using a VPN to carry out illegal activities is breaking the law so that if you are caught doing so by the Turkish authorities you are still subject to the laws and punishments that Turkey has in place for the crime you committed. Using a VPN does not protect you from such charges being laid at your door.

It’s good to be aware of this before employing the use of a VPN in Turkey whatever your intention. It is also good, therefore, to be aware of the laws of Turkey so that you do not inadvertently break them when accessing online content or partaking in what you would have seen as an innocent browsing session in your own country.

Bearing that in mind, it’s good to know that not only are internet service providers in Turkey required by law to maintain activity logs on all of their users for two years, they also legally have to relinquish those logs to the government at any time if requested. Additionally, all web traffic is filtered by the government, and sites deemed inappropriate or offensive are blocked. As previously mentioned, the list of blocked sites sits in the tens of thousands, and at one point even included YouTube and Minecraft.

Using a VPN to access those sites while in Turkey is therefore a risk you have to decide is worth taking or not.

Using A VPN to Access Turkish Streaming Services

Netflix is available in Turkey as an account or subscription service that is suitable for all those that reside in the country. However, given the government’s stringent censorship laws a great deal of what this huge video library has on offer is not available. That being said, if you do sign up to it, and there is a show or series that you enjoy watching, it does not necessarily follow that it will always be available outside of Turkey. To watch it while traveling, therefore, you can still use your VPN subscription to access US Netflix. All you need to do is choose to connect with a server in Turkey so that you are provided with the required Turkish IP address that will unblock the content you want.

The Bottom Line

Using a VPN when in Turkey is a fantastic idea if you want to unblock so much of the content that is restricted in the country thanks to its strict censorship laws. By providing you with a new IP address that makes you appear like you are outside of the country, you bypass the restrictions that are put in place by the country’s governments and internet service providers. Plus, given that those very ISPs are required by law to keep logs of your data and your online activity, it gives you that added bonus of remaining anonymous to them and keeping your browsing sessions private.

We recommend the use of ExpressVPN above all others thanks to the high-quality service that it constantly and consistently provides its subscribers. When subscribing to ExpressVPN, users can be confident that they will enjoy a problem browsing session that is nigh on impossible to hack into. The result is keeping all online activity safe and secure.