The Turkish postal service is run by the PTT , with most post offices open Mon-Sat 8am-5pm; main branches are open until 7 or 8pm and on Sundays. Post boxes are clearly labelled with categories of destination - yurtdisi means overseas.

The PTT is the best place to make phone calls . Post offices sell phonecards (30, 60 and 100 units) and jetons (tokens), and have both types of phone, as well as metered phones. Some main PTTs have 24-hour phone services. However, Turk Telekom is currently being privatized so it's unclear how long the PTT will continue to offer these services. A new generation of payphones accepting credit cards has appeared, as have numerous private phone shops   (Köntürlü telefon) offering metered calls at dubious, unofficial rates. Call 118 for directory enquiries, tel 115 for the international operator . There are three GSM mobile-phone companies, all of which sell pre-paid SIM cards for around $20. Top-up cards are widely available.

Internet access is excellent in Turkey, with cybercafés in most towns charging $0.50-1.50/hr depending on location and the mode of access (dial-up or leased-line).