Türkiye’s Trade Ministry has confirmed new instalment rules for mobile phones, doubling the price limit for buying a new phone over 12 months and removing the cap for refurbished devices.
The ministry said on Thursday that a regulation change published in the Official Gazette on 15 October (issue 33401) gave it authority, in line with decisions by banking watchdog BDDK, to set instalment periods and limits. Under that authority it has updated the terms for new and refurbished phones, it said, as reported by Hürriyet’s Bigpara and TGRT Haber.
What changes
New phones priced at 40,000 lira or less can now be bought in up to 12 monthly instalments. The previous threshold was 20,000 lira. Phones priced above 40,000 lira stay limited to three instalments.
Refurbished phones, which are certified second-hand devices sold with a warranty, can be bought in up to 12 instalments regardless of price.
The ministry stressed that instalment periods, amounts and restrictions for all other product groups remain unchanged.
Other instalment limits
The ministry’s new powers apply to instalment sales of goods and services other than homes. Credit card, shopping loan and consumer finance transactions remain under BDDK rules. According to Sözcü, the current limits for non-card instalment sales include up to nine months for white goods and furniture, up to six months for tablets, and up to 18 months for domestic travel and accommodation.
Instalment buying, known as "taksit", is widespread in Türkiye. Many shops and online stores let customers spread the price of a purchase across several months, usually on a Turkish bank credit card. Authorities have restricted it for some goods in recent years to curb consumer demand and inflation, and phones were among the most tightly limited.
What it means for foreign residents
Foreign residents with a Turkish bank account and credit card can generally use instalments in the same way as Turkish citizens. Phones are relatively expensive in Türkiye because of taxes and import fees, so the higher threshold mainly helps buyers of mid-range models.
Phones brought from abroad by residents still need to be registered by IMEI number to keep working on Turkish networks after a limited period. Buying locally avoids that step. Our moving to Turkey checklist covers phone and bank set-up, and our cost of living in Turkey 2026 guide shows typical household spending. Visitors should also note the new e-Devlet rule for tourists.
Sources
- Bakanlıktan cep telefonu taksit düzenlemesine ilişkin açıklama (Bigpara)
- Ticaret Bakanlığı’ndan cep telefonu alışverişinde belirlenen taksit sınırı için yeni açıklama (TGRT Haber)
- Taksit tutarları değişti: Bazı ürünlere 18 ay vade geliyor (Sözcü)
Photo: Andrey Matveev / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
