Country code: 90. The cheapest way to make calls is from PTT telephone booths, which are found in all areas. These operate using phone cards, which can be bought from kiosks, or by using major credit cards.

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is mostly good, but can be patchy in some rural areas in eastern Turkey.

Internet cafes exist in main urban areas. Some restaurants and hotels have Wi-Fi Internet access.

Turkish post offices are recognisable by their yellow PTT signs.

Post office hours: major outlets Mon-Sat 0800-2400, Sun 0900-1900; smaller post offices have the same opening hours as government offices.

The Turkish media is dominated by several large corporations that own the main newspapers and private television channels. The Turkish press is fairly free and outspoken in most areas, although a significant number of journalists have been prosecuted under highly controversial laws against ‘insulting' the country, state institutions or ‘Turkishness'. These are viewed by many, including the European Commission, as against the right to freedom of expression. Kurdish-language broadcasts have been introduced in order to meet EU criteria on minorities.

• The main newspapers are Hürriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Zamam Cumhuriyet and Yeni Asir.
• English-language daily newspapers include The Turkish Daily News.

• Four state-run channels are operated by the state broadcaster, Turkish Radio and Television (TRT).
• Private channels include ATV, Kanal D, Show TV and Star TV.
• CNN Türk is the Turkish channel of news network CNN.

• TRT stations include TRT 1 (cultural and educational), TRT 3 (classical, jazz and popular music) and TRT 4 (Turkish folk and classical music).
• Best FM, Show Radyo and Capital Radio are commercial stations.
• Radyo Foreks broadcasts news.