Best Turkey VPNs to use in 2025: paid and free options

A reliable VPN for Turkey should have iron-clad security features, military-grade encryption, and a no-logs policy as a given. This way, you’ll be sure that your network activities are invisible to onlookers and that your actions are not tracked. After testing 20 VPNs, NordVPN, Surfshark, and Total VPN stood out as the best VPNs for Turkey in 2025 due to robust security and reliability, while Proton VPN emerged as the best free VPN for Turkey.

In August 2024, Turkey’s government blocked Instagram for nine days; in October, Discord was blocked, too. Turkey also restricts sites like OnlyFans, games like Roblox, and several news outlets like Özgürüz and Ahval News, and even increased blocked VPNs to 27 providers in August 2024.

A VPN is an essential cybersecurity tool in Turkey, allowing users to bypass internet censorship, unblock websites, social media, and news sources. Additionally, a VPN protects your online privacy and freedom by encrypting your traffic. Continue reading this article to learn about the top 5 Turkey VPNs and how to use them to bypass censorship.

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Top 5 best VPNs for Turkey: ranked

1. NordVPN

   The best and the fastest VPN for Turkey
   9.8
2. Surfshark VPN

   High-security Turkey VPN with unlimited connections
   9.5
3. TotalVPN

   Affordable VPN to use in Turkey
   8.2
4. Proton VPN

   VPN for Turkey with a free version
   8.6
5. Bitdefender VPN

   VPN with Turkey server for unblocking sites
   8.2

Why do you need a VPN in Turkey?

With a high internet and media censorship index in Turkey and the country’s status as being “not free” based on Freedom House’s ranking, a VPN is an important tool to preserve your online freedom and privacy. Here’s a more detailed outline of why you need a VPN in Turkey:

• Access restricted content and blocked sites. A Turkey VPN can instantly change your IP address if you simply connect to a server outside your country. Once you’re connected to a more internet-friendly region, you can easily access sites like Instagram and Discord, which are blocked in Turkey. With this new IP address, you’ll also be able to access international streaming sites such as the US Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. Lastly, for an added layer of anonymity, you can choose a reliable VPN service with obfuscated servers that make your traffic look like general traffic, rendering your VPN use basically untraceable.
• Browse the internet securely. A truly reliable Turkey VPN should come with AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption. This way, your traffic will be turned into imperceptible gibberish to any onlooker, keeping your network activities safe from government and ISP surveillance and data collection. To make sure your activities are secure and your IP is well-hidden, look for features such as a kill switch and additional IP and DNS leakprotection features.

After thorough research, I found that NordVPN stands out as the best VPN for Turkey in 2025. The service comes with exceptional security features, including AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, reliable unblocking capabilities, and obfuscated servers, making it an excellent choice for the residents of Turkey.

Best VPNs for Turkey: comprehensive list

1. NordVPN - best overall Turkey VPN, free for 30 days
2. Surfshark - fastest VPN for Turkey, free for 30 days
3. Total VPN - VPN for a Turkey IP address, free for 30 days
4. Proton VPN - free Turkey VPN with great paid version
5. Bitdefender - secure VPN to use in Turkey, free for 30 days

Technically, using a VPN is legal in Turkey; however, the government has already blocked many VPN providers. Therefore, to access blocked websites in Turkey, you will need a reliable VPN with strong encryption, robust IP leak protection, and obfuscated servers as an option. So, only the VPNs that matched these high criteria were included in my list of the best VPNs for Turkey. Continue reading my detailed review of tried and tested Turkey VPNs that have all that it takes to secure your online activities and unblock restricted sites.

1. NordVPN - overall best VPN for Turkey

Why we chose it

NordVPN is the overall best VPN for Turkey due to its excellent geo-unblocking capabilities, robust security features, and the fastest connection speeds in the industry. Plus, it has a huge fleet of 7000+ servers globally, of which 14 are in Turkey.

My experience using NordVPN in Turkey

Thanks to NordVPN’s extensive server network, I had no trouble finding servers in various regions, avoiding issues like congestion or poor performance. A wide server base is crucial for bypassing geo-restrictions and reducing the risk of server blacklisting by streaming platforms. With 14 servers in Istanbul, NordVPN lets me browse Turkish content securely while maintaining near-original speeds.

I tested NordVPN’s unblocking with servers in the US, UK, and Germany, accessing platforms like US and German Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max. It also easily unblocked social media platforms banned in Turkey, including Instagram, X (Twitter), and Discord.

I performed my speed tests using NordLynx tunneling protocol and found an impressive 468 Mbps average and 94% speed retention, making NordVPN ideal for bandwidth-heavy activities like streaming, gaming, and torrenting.

For security, NordVPN offers obfuscated servers to bypass censorship, a Double VPN for anonymity, and an audited no-logs policy to protect your data. Additionally, there is also the baseline AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and additional IP & DNS leak protection features.

Although NordVPN lacks a free plan, it has a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Subscriptions start at $3.39/month, offering great value.

Read more about this provider in our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark - fastest VPN for Turkey with unlimited connections

Why we chose it

Surfshark is the fastest Turkey VPN with unlimited connections and reliable geo-unblocking capabilities. Additionally, the provider operates a well-rounded server fleet, covering popular locations such as The US, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, and more.

My experience using Surfshark VPN in Turkey

In total, Surfshark operates over 3200 servers in more than 100 countries. While it does not have any servers located in Turkey, I did not find it an issue with the ultra-fast servers available all over the world.

I tried unblocking such foreign streaming platforms as DAZN, HBO Max, and Netflix using various Surfshark servers and did not experience any hiccups any time I tried. Additionally, it was easy to find suitable servers for unblocking social media platforms such as Discord and online games like Roblox.

When I performed my Surfshark speed tests, I connected to servers in the UK, US, and Germany for a wider net and ultimately got an excellent average of 466 Mbps with a 93% initial speed retention rate. Similarly to NordVPN, Surfshark is also superb for various network activities, including gaming and streaming.

For a Turkey-specialised VPN, Surfshark offers a NoBorders mode, which works in restrictive regions like Turkey, a CleanWeb to block any trackers, and unlimited device connections, making it a perfect choice if you want to protect all of your devices at once.

While Surfshark does not have a free version, it offers a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. That’s more than enough time to test out this truly superb VPN. And, if you'd like to subscribe for it, the prices start at only $2.19/month.

Read more about the premium VPN in our Surfshark review.

3. Total VPN - cheapest Turkey VPN

Why we chose it

Total VPN is the cheapest Turkey VPN that does not compromise on security and reliability. While it operates a more compact server fleet, it covers all the most popular regions for unblocking geo-locked content.

My experience using Total VPN in Turkey

Total VPN has 50+ servers across 35+ countries in total, covering North and South America, Europe, and Asia. While it is a fairly small distribution, I never had any issues finding available servers in any of the regions in which I wanted to access content.

Speaking of which, I used Total VPN to unblock the US Netflix library, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and YouTube, and the service provided me with easy access every time. Plus, Total VPN proved to work great at unblocking social media platforms, such as X and Instagram, and even the OnlyFans page, which is blocked in Turkey.

As for speeds, I connected to servers in the UK, US, and Germany for my tests and used the fastest available tunneling protocol, WireGuard. I wasn’t surprised to find an average of 428 Mbps and an 85% initial speed retention rate, as I knew Total VPN is a solid service with reliable connection speeds.

As for Turkey VPN-specific features, Total VPN offers Stealth mode to avoid detection in restricted regions, split tunneling to control the dispersion of your internet traffic, and AES-256 encryption to secure your activities from prying eyes.

Total VPN does not have a free version, but its baseline subscription is just $1.59/month, making it one of the cheapest VPN services around. If you don’t want to commit to it right away, you can try it out during the 30-day money-back guarantee period.

For more information, read our Total VPN review.

4. Proton VPN - secure VPN to use in Turkey

Why we chose it

Proton VPN is one of the most secure VPNs to use in Turkey which also has a reliable (yet limited) free version. In addition, Proton VPN operates one of the biggest server fleets and also has hardware located in Turkey.

My experience using Proton VPN in Turkey

The provider has a vast fleet of 13000+ servers in 122+ countries, 5 of which are located in Istanbul. This means that I could easily and surely find a server to unblock any content I wished to. Plus, the available Turkish servers ensured I could also browse local content securely.

Proton VPN is quite a powerful service regarding unblocking geo-locked content and I had no issues accessing foreign streaming platforms including HBO Max, Netflix, and more. Plus, I also got into Instagram, Discord, Roblox, and OnlyFans – all the pages currently restricted in Turkey.

To perform my speed tests, I connected to servers in Germany, the US, and the UK and used the WireGuard tunneling protocol for comparison with the competitors, to be fair. After my tests, I found Proton VPN’s average speed to be around 428 Mbps, with an 85% initial speed retention rate. If you’re connecting to a faraway server, I recommend using the VPN Accelerator feature to increase the connection speed.

The service has an iron-clad no-logs policy and offers such features as Secure Core servers for extra protection against surveillance, Tor over VPN for direct access to the Tor network, and obfuscated servers for a well-rounded package.

Proton VPN offers probably the most reliable free VPN version. And while it’s limited to servers in Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and the US, there is no daily data cap or bandwidth limitations. If you’d rather get the full-featured premium version, instead, the subscriptions start at $3.59/month and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

For more information on this VPN, read our Proton VPN review.

5. Bitdefender VPN - reliable VPN with Turkey servers

Why we chose it

Bitdefender offers a reliable VPN with servers in Turkey and advanced security features for total anonymity online. Additionally, this VPN comes from a well-respected antivirus brand, which is not a newcomer in the cybersecurity industry.

My experience using Bitdefender VPN in Turkey

Bitdefender has a significant fleet of 4000+ servers in over 50 locations worldwide. While the provider does not disclose how many servers it has in Turkey, customer support confirmed they do have servers located in Turkey.

With Bitdefender servers located in places like the US, UK, and Germany, I swiftly accessed various streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, and unblocked social media platforms such as Discord and X. Additionally, with the servers located in Turkey, I was able to securely access Turkish content.

Next, I performed speed tests. For them, I chose the UK, US, German, and Turkish servers and used the Catapult Hydra protocol, which is the fastest one on Bitdefender’s list. On average, I got around 422 Mbps speeds – a bit slower than with competitors – and around 85% initial speed retention rate. With these numbers, you might run into a lag here and there if your initial internet speed is lower than average.

As for security, Bitdefender offers an Ad and Tracker blocker to enhance privacy and browsing experience, robust AES-256 encryption to safeguard your activities, and a highly reliable kill switch to prevent any IP leaks.

Bitdfender does not have a free version, unless you purchase the Bitdefender Total Security antivirus package with limited free VPN included in it. However, Bitdefender is not expensive if you want to get its premium version, with subscriptions starting at just $2.92/month with a guaranteed 30-day money-back policy.

For more information on this provider, read our Bitdefender review.

How I tested and selected the best Turkey VPN

To find the best VPNs that work 100% in Turkey, I put over 20 providers through rigorous testing. I checked how secure they are, if the speeds they promise are actually real, and how well they are at unblocking geo-restricted content. Here’s a more detailed low-down on how I tested the VPNs:

• Servers. The best VPNs for Turkey should have local servers to encrypt and secure your data and provide the fastest available speeds due to their close proximity. Additionally, such a VPN should have more than enough servers in Europe to unlock European content and US servers to unlock US content. My selected VPNs match this criteria, with NordVN offering the widest server fleet.
• Unblocking capabilities and speed. The VPN features that help to unblock geo-locked content include strong encryption, obfuscated servers, stealth mode, and well-working servers. All the providers on this managed to unlock foreign streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more, as well as locally restricted sites such as Instagram, Discord, X, Roblox, and OnlyFans. Additionally, I also performed speed tests with providers topping at least the 400 Mbps bar, making it to the final list.
• Privacy and security features. To keep you private and safe online in Turkey, a VPN should have AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption, strong IP & DNS leak protection, a reliable kill switch to prevent IP slippage, and preferably obfuscated servers or a stealth mode to bypass VPN restrictions safely. I tested the reliability of kill switches by manually terminating the network connection and looking at the results, checked for IP and DNS leaks on ipleak.net and dnsleaktest.com, respectively, and the strength of encryption was proved by the ability to unlock geo-blocked content.
• Price and free version availability. I tested both paid and free VPNs or free versions of premium VPNs where available, ultimately selecting only those that provided the best value for money. I also checked if my chosen VPNs had free trials and trustworthy money-back guarantees.

Secure your browsing in Turkey with NordVPN

Turkey VPN services comparison

How to use a VPN in Turkey

Using a VPN in Turkey is very simple and includes steps such as subscribing and installing a VPN service onto your preferred device and connecting to a server of your choice. Here’s how to use a VPN in Turkey step-by-step:

1. Subscribe to a reliable VPN service with local servers as well as servers abroad. I recommend NordVPN, now 76% off.
2. Download the app, install it onto your device, and log in to your account. As an additional measure, clear your browser cookies and cache to prevent your real IP from showing.
3. Connect to a server in Turkey to browse local content safely or a server outside your country to unlock foreign content.
4. That’s it - your network activities are now protected from government surveillance and data tracking.

Browse safely with NordVPN

Is it illegal to use a VPN in Turkey?

While using a VPN in Turkey is not illegal per se, the Turkish government is trying very hard to make the use of these cybersecurity tools nearly impossible. This is done with the implementation of significant restrictions that impede the effective use of a VPN service. For instance, as of August 2024, the Turkish government has blocked 27 VPN providers, making them technically unavailable in the country. This means that accessing these blocked VPNs might lead to issues, even though using a VPN is not illegal.

The government justifies these measures by citing national security concerns and the prevention of bypassing strict content restrictions. The legal basis of these restrictions is often cited as Law 5651 (full translation here), which gives authorities extensive powers to block online content.

Critics argue that the VPN blocking significantly limits online freedom and access to information of the Turkish citizens. This is also reflected in Freedom House’s index given to Turkey, marking it as a country that is “not free” in regards to access to media and news sources. In a nutshell, the Turkish government is trying to make sure that VPNs are no longer accessible to its citizens. However, it is not by criminalizing the VPN use itself, but rather by making it nearly impossible to actually access the service.

Is there a free Turkey VPN?

Proton VPN offers probably the most reliable free VPN version in the industry. With this unpaid Turkey VPN, you can easily get a USA IP address, which will allow you to access geo-restricted content and services while traveling in Turkey. However, the Proton VPN free version does not have servers located in Turkey, which means if you want to browse local content securely, you won’t be able to do that. On the other hand, this free version offers 5 server locations to choose from, including the US, Japan, Romania, Poland, and the Netherlands, and comes with no data or bandwidth restrictions.

That said, if you’re looking for a VPN service with unlimited server choice and functionalities, I recommend choosing a premium VPN with a free trial. This is also a good option if you need a VPN for a short time or simply want to test it out before buying. Here, I’d choose NordVPN or Surfshark, as they come with top-tier security features, have obfuscated servers, and are excellent at geo-unblocking. If you’d like to have a Turkish IP address, then NordVPN is the ultimate choice.

Try NordVPN with a free trial

VPNs for Turkey that didn't make the top list

Not all VPNs are well-equipped to be used in Turkey. Some of them might not have servers located in Turkey, are unable to unblock locked content reliably, or may even raise privacy concerns. Here are some of the VPN services that I found unsuitable for Turkey:

• HideMyAss – while the service has a wide server net and even some servers in Turkey, it failed to bypass geo-restrictions consistently and unblock locally restricted sites like Instagram. Additionally, the less-than-ideal privacy policy raises concerns about data logging.
• Hotspot Shield – this service performed quite well in my speed tests, but struggled at unblocking geo-restricted content. Plus, its free version is very limited and funded by ads which, yet again, raises privacy concerns.
• Windscribe (free version) – comes with a monthly data cap of 2 GB, which is too little for regular use. Also, when I tried the free version servers, I often encountered trouble unblocking geo-restricted content.
• TunnelBear – while it’s a convenient and well-known service, it lacks servers in Turkey. This means you won’t be able to access local content safely. It also struggled to unblock popular foreign streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

Final thoughts: do you really need a VPN in Turkey?

The Turkish government is well known for its constant online content limitations and social media and news source blocks. Additionally, the Turkish government might track and log internet user data, putting their privacy at a high risk. Here, VPN comes in as an essential tool for anyone looking to safeguard their network activities and keep their anonymity online.

My top choice for Turkey VPN is NordVPN. Not only is this a very reliable service with robust security features, but it also has the most Turkey servers compared to other VPNs. Additionally, NordVPN is equipped with obfuscated servers for extra security, is very capable of geo-unblocking, and offers the fastest speed in the industry.

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FAQ

Which VPN to use for Turkey?

I recommend using NordVPN as a Turkish VPN. This provider has 14+ servers in Turkey to safely access local content, not to mention the several thousand servers abroad to unlock geo-restricted content. Additionally, NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy and offers robust security features and the fastest speeds in the industry.

Which VPN has a free Turkey location?

No VPNs have a free Turkey location. In this case, I recommend getting a premium VPN with servers in Turkey, like NordVPN, and taking advantage of the 7-day free trial and the 30-day money-back guarantee it offers. This way, you’ll have a Turkey IP address, while not spending a dime.

How do I change my VPN to Turkey for free?

To change your IP address to Turkey for free, you’ll need to get a premium VPN with a free trial. I recommend trying NordVPN, as it has servers in Turkey and offers a 7-day free trial. Once you subscribe to the service and install the app, simply connect to a server located in Turkey.

Can I use NordVPN in Turkey?

Yes, you can use NordVPN for all your VPN needs in Turkey. In fact, as our research shows, it is the best option available for a VPN service. We recommend using NordVPN for all your online privacy and security needs.

Is there a fine for using VPN in Turkey?

There is no fine for using a VPN in Turkey. However, you may be fined if you use it to access restricted content or for criminal activities. So, if you’re using a VPN in Turkey, I recommend choosing one that will reliably encrypt your network traffic and prevent your real IP from showing at all costs.