Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum

Information and Services in Turkey Section => Telephones, Broadband and Mobiles => Topic started by: AandP on April 22, 2013, 16:05:13 PM

Title: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: AandP on April 22, 2013, 16:05:13 PM
Hi.

We tried to register our mobile phone today at a Turkcell shop in Fethiye and were informed that it is no longer possible to register a UK phone to use beyond a 2-3 week period with a Turkish SIM. After this period, the phone becomes locked and cannot be used at all.
We stated that we understood that we could register our mobile with the aid of a tax number (which we possess) our passports and a registration charge to be paid. The helpful assistant stated that this registration process has been withdrawn by the Government, ????.

Has anyone else found this to be so?

Is this correct? It will mean that our expensive UK smart phones are to be rendered useless!... help , advice please....
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: stoop on April 22, 2013, 16:17:12 PM
Nothing would surprise me but maybe it's just a shop worker who can't be bothered or doesn't know how to do it.

To be honest we tried this a few years back and it didn't work so we ended up buying a Turkish phone and sim for around 120ytl. It's not a very smart phone though :(
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: tel on July 09, 2013, 07:20:40 AM
There has been a recent change in Turkish law, whereby foreigners cannot import a mobile from outside Turkey and register it in their own name.
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: Eric on July 09, 2013, 10:41:54 AM
Try asking at the tax office, thats where you register your phone.  They will tell you if you can or cannot do it now.
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: daveG on July 09, 2013, 17:09:55 PM
What next? Tel?
I'm beginning to think Turk Gov. has access to Ryanair's  "Think Tank"  ;)
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: Hamlet on July 09, 2013, 19:28:19 PM
Yes it's true, I was told this about 4 months ago.  8)
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: phil1839 on July 09, 2013, 19:54:36 PM
We have just returned from a trip to England where we purchased two new mobile phones. You have to take the phone and your passport to the Tax Office in Fethiye. Go to the desk where you pay your car tax on the ground floor, they take details of your passport and the imei number of the phone and you give them 115tl, they will then issue you with a receipt.  We then took the receipt to an Avea shop where we purchased a Sim card and they registered the phones in our names. If you have residency you can use different Turkish Sim cards in the phone, with no residency you are restricted to the one sim card which you registered with.  I think you have to register the phones within 1 month of arriving in Turkey. Phil
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: Eric on July 09, 2013, 22:30:00 PM
So nothing has changed then.  Sounds like the original shop do not know their ar*e from their elbow.  I think it is best to use main phone shops rather than the smaller shops who just sell you credits.
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: Bluwise on July 10, 2013, 05:15:06 AM
Try Baris in the Avea shop in Fethiye - he's very helpful.  It's the one on the row of shops opposite the Mosque. 
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: Marggie on July 10, 2013, 10:09:14 AM
Like your new avatar Sue.
Title: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: lizdev on July 10, 2013, 11:21:10 AM
I have a Turkcell sim in my iPad.  I bought this just prior to the registration requirements.  If I buy an iPad mini with cellular, can I just swap the sim card from my iPad to the iPad mini, or would I have to register the mini? 
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: Bluwise on July 10, 2013, 18:26:45 PM
Like your new avatar Sue.
Thanks Marggie - was asked how many chins I am hiding - reply.....at least two last count! ;D

Taken in Fethiye last week.......wish I was there now. 
Title: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: Fran on July 10, 2013, 21:32:51 PM
I have a Turkcell sim in my iPad.  I bought this just prior to the registration requirements.  If I buy an iPad mini with cellular, can I just swap the sim card from my iPad to the iPad mini, or would I have to register the mini?

I don't think so as the SIM card is registered to your device by its emei number. I put a turk cell SIM card in my ipad, which had previously been in a Turkish bought phone, but it only worked for one visit, the next time we went back it had been switched off.
Title: Re: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: Hamlet on July 11, 2013, 07:10:30 AM
We have just returned from a trip to England where we purchased two new mobile phones. You have to take the phone and your passport to the Tax Office in Fethiye. Go to the desk where you pay your car tax on the ground floor, they take details of your passport and the imei number of the phone and you give them 115tl, they will then issue you with a receipt.  We then took the receipt to an Avea shop where we purchased a Sim card and they registered the phones in our names. If you have residency you can use different Turkish Sim cards in the phone, with no residency you are restricted to the one sim card which you registered with.  I think you have to register the phones within 1 month of arriving in Turkey. Phil

That's interesting Phil, so it seems that it has changed yet again. When I registered my Blackberry here nearly two years ago I had to do it at a main Turkcell shop and was told that I couldn't register another for two years, even if mine was lost or broken. I'm thinking of changing phones when the two years is up and it will be interesting to see what the rules are then.
Title: Registration of UK phones stopped????
Post by: lizdev on July 11, 2013, 09:23:17 AM
I have a Turkcell sim in my iPad.  I bought this just prior to the registration requirements.  If I buy an iPad mini with cellular, can I just swap the sim card from my iPad to the iPad mini, or would I have to register the mini?

I don't think so as the SIM card is registered to your device by its emei number. I put a turk cell SIM card in my ipad, which had previously been in a Turkish bought phone, but it only worked for one visit, the next time we went back it had been switched off.
Thanks Fran, I didn't know it was linked to the imei number.