Last updated: 23 January 2024
When you are going on a trip to Turkey, be sure to pack the appropriate travel plug adapter that fits the local sockets. But what do those electrical outlets look like? In Turkey, types C and F are the official standards. Like almost all of its neighbours, Turkey has standardized on the German plug and socket system.
Just like in the rest of the Middle East and Europe, the voltage in Turkey is 230 volts and the frequency is 50 Hz.
Obsolete type C Bakelite wall socket (1950s)
Turkey has standardized on type F sockets and plugs. Type C and type E plugs can also be used thanks to their compatibility with type F sockets.
Typically, type C plug sockets are not allowed to be installed in Turkey: these outlets are not earthed and are therefore considered dangerous. Only type F power points are permitted because they are grounded and therefore significantly safer.
The only (and rare) exception to this rule is that an old type C outlet should be replaced by a new one. After all, if you hook up a grounded wall outlet (i.e. type F) on a two-wire circuit, the socket will not be grounded, but people will get the wrong impression that it is actually grounded. No need to say, this would be a potentially dangerous situation.
Nowadays, however, type C receptacles are not frequently installed anymore, since older properties are almost always completely rewired when they are renovated or significantly altered.
