Emergency numbers and help

Save these before you need them. Turkish emergency numbers are free from any phone, including a phone with no local SIM.

The numbers

Number	For
112	All emergencies — ambulance, police, fire. Operators can usually route you to an English speaker.
155	Police (city).
110	Fire brigade.
153	The municipal line: taxi complaints, public transport, city services. Not for emergencies.

Türkiye has merged its emergency lines: 110, 155 and 156 (gendarmerie) now route through the single number 112, so 112 is the one to remember. If you are not sure which service you need, call it and the dispatcher will send the right one.

Tourism police

Istanbul has a tourism police unit in Sultanahmet, close to the main square, with officers who work with visitors every day and speak several languages. For thefts, disputes with a business, or a lost passport report, this is the friendliest first stop. Check the current opening hours before you go.

Pharmacies, including at night

Pharmacies are marked "eczane". Most are open on weekdays during shop hours and close in the evening and on Sundays.

At any hour, one pharmacy in each district stays open on rotation. It is the "nöbetçi eczane" = on-duty pharmacy. Every closed pharmacy posts a note in the window listing that day's on-duty pharmacy and its address, so if you find a shut door, read the window. You can also ask a hotel reception or a taxi driver; everyone here knows what a nöbetçi eczane is.

Pharmacists in Turkey are well trained and will advise on minor problems. Many common medicines are available without a prescription; bring the box or the name of anything you take regularly.

Hospitals

Both state and private hospitals treat foreigners. Private hospitals in areas like Şişli, Levent, Nişantaşı, Ataşehir and Bakırköy generally have international patient desks with English, Arabic and often Russian and Persian-speaking staff, and they are used to visitors. Ask for the "uluslararası hasta" = international patient desk when you arrive.

In an emergency, call 112 and let the ambulance decide the hospital — do not spend time choosing.

Keep a photo of your passport page and any medical notes on your phone.

Consulates

Most consulates in Istanbul are in Beyoğlu, Şişli and Levent, and a few are elsewhere. Addresses and opening hours change, and appointments are often required, so always check the current address and hours on the consulate's own website before travelling across the city.

Istanbul has consulates general of, among many others:

• Iran
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Spain
• Mexico
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Germany

A consulate can issue emergency travel documents if your passport is lost or stolen, and can give you a list of local lawyers and doctors. They cannot pay your bills or get you out of a legal obligation. For a lost passport, report the loss to the police first — the consulate will ask for that report.

What the app can do

The emergency button in the app puts you through to our line, staffed in your language. If you are in trouble, we can call an ambulance or the police for you, explain your situation to a hospital or a police station, and stay on the line while it is sorted. Your rep can meet the situation practically; and if your card includes it, we can put you in touch with a lawyer.

Write down your hotel name and district somewhere on paper. In a bad moment it is the piece of information that everyone asks for first.