Last month we brought over a small little used but 4 year old portable TV - boxed up & covered with plastic. We got stopped by Customs who demanded £55 to take it into Turkey. As it wasn't worth that & was only a stopgap until we bought one we wanted we left it at the airport.
Before we left I checked the official Turkish Government site for allowances (for the life of me I can't find the original one now) & the only reason we took was that it said TVs under 55cm were permitted in duty free also goods up to around £200 & gifts were allowed.
I argued with the Customs chap & he said it wasn't customs duty but was a broadcasting fee?
even telling him we were leaving it as a gift (it would have been after a short while, when we'd bought what we wanted) didn't help. We were told we had to collect it & take it home with us - What a hassle that was!
Customs was closed when we arrived for the flight back. I had to be escorted downstairs & hung around whilst the Customs people ate & kept telling me they were closed I should have come earlier. I followed one customs man as he appeared to want me to do only for him to turn & go into the gents. I stopped when I realised thankfully. He wanted me to sign I'd had the TV back & tried to take the paperwork off me while all the time he did nothing but sit on his a... Thankfully security were more efficient - I was getting worried as bus was late picking us up & less than an hour remained till our flight - we hadn't checked in as we couldn't without the TV. Bless the security chap who carried it back upstairs for me & ushered an anxious hubby to the front of the queue - he had been told to go back to the back each time he reached the front. We virtually went straight from check-in onto the airplane. I understand now why Carl said - 'Let me drop the bloody thing, it's just going to be a major hassle otherwise!'
Here is what it says on the Turkish Embassy site in America - the actual Turkish site I found was more specific.
Don't try & bring in anything unless you can put it in a suitcase - it;s a major hassle!
Take a look at the last item too - do you have yours?
On Entry
The following items may be brought into the country duty free
personal effects of the tourist.
one TV, one colour pocket TV (maximum 16 cm screen), one TV-tape-radio combination, one video recording camera and 5 video cassettes (blank); 5 records, 5 tape cassettes or compact discs.
one video player, cine-projector (8 mm) and 10 rolls of film (blank), one slide projector.
one pocket computer (maximum main memory capacity Ram 128k. Byte), electronic playing devices (without cassette - keyboard).
one transistor radio and portable radio - tape player (its specification to be determined by the Ministry of Finance and Customs), one Walkman or pocket tape recorder, one portable compact disc player.
Binoculars (one pair, except night binoculars)
harmonica, mandolin, flageole, flute, guitar, and accordion (only one of each type, maximum 3 musical instruments).
personal sports equipment.
necessary medical items.
bicycle, baby buggy, toys.
200 cigarettes and 50 cigars.
200 grams of tobacco and 200 cigarette papers, or 50 grams of chewing tobacco or 200 grams of pipe tobacco, or 200 grams of snuff
(In addition to the above allowances, it is possible to purchase 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars, and 500 grams of pipe tobacco from the Turkish Duty Free Shops upon entering the country).
1.5kg. coffee, 1.5kg. instant coffee, 500 grams of tea.
1 kilo chocolate and 1 kilo sweets.
5 (100 cc) or 7 (70 cc) bottles of wines and/or spirits.
five bottles of perfume (120 ml max. each).
one portable typewriter.
one camera with 5 rolls of film.
First aid, and spare parts for the car.
Other items necessary during the journey.
Valuable items and all items with a value of over $ 15,000 must be registered in the owner's passport upon entering Turkey, for control upon exit.
Antiques brought into the country must be registered in the owner's passport to avoid difficulties on exit.
Sharp instruments (including camping knives) and weapons may not be brought into the country without special permission.
The bringing into the country, trade, and consumption of marijuana and all other narcotics is strictly forbidden and subject to heavy punishment.
Gifts, not exceeding 500 DM in value and not for trading purposes, may be brought into the country duty free. In addition, gifts not exceeding 500 OM in value may be posted to Turkey duty free, if the date stamped by the sending post office falls one month before, or one month after the following holidays: Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami, Christmas, and New Year's.
Note: Cellular Telephones entering the country must be accompanied by a certification form showing ownership. Ownership must be documented in the passport of the owner and will be checked on entry and exit. For more information contact the Ministry of Transportation, General Directorate at Tel: (312) 212 35 72 - 212 60 10 (10 lines), Fax: (312) 221 32 26 or write to Ulastirma Bakanligi Telsiz Gn. Md. Emek - Ankara.