The best Turkey VPN

Privacy & security

Proton has its very own "world-first" censorship-resistant CAPTCHA system, which can grant users access to places like Turkey, Russia, and Iran, where its services are often blocked. It also comes with a VPN Observatory, which is a publicly available webpage that tracks spikes in VPN usage worldwide to identify online censorship in real time.

Its Secure Core is among the most useful of its many privacy-friendly features. It reroutes your VPN traffic via a super-secure location (Iceland, Sweden, or Switzerland) before finally connecting you to the location of your choice. So, even if Proton's Turkish service ever gets compromised, the security of your data in transit will remain intact.

ProtonVPN also recently partnered with Deutsche Welle to offer people worldwide direct access to independent news content. Plus, its Stealth protocol, which obfuscates VPN usage by mixing your VPN traffic with a regular internet connection, will help you sidestep Turkey's VPN ban. Authorities won't be able to make out that you're using a VPN in the first place.

In addition to a strict and independently verified (last time in July 2024) no-logs policy, Proton VPN also instills confidence among privacy-conscious users because it's based in Switzerland - a country outside the EU and U.S. jurisdiction and one that's known for its strong privacy laws.

Ease of use

Proton VPN recently gave a UI refresh to its mobile and desktop apps, which are now sleeker than before. They're mighty easy to use, too, thanks to a simple installation process and the option to get protected instantly with a quick connect button.

It comes with a handy Guest Mode that doesn't require you to enter your details or create an account to use the VPN. It's worth noting, though, that this feature is currently only available on Android.

The only real gripe we have with Proton VPN is that its live chat isn't 24/7. Seeing as its apps are simple but not as simple as, say, ExpressVPN's, a lack of prompt support could mean you have to wait should you run into any issues.

Also, although Proton's free VPN is just as straightforward, it's not cut out for use in Turkey, seeing as it only offers access to five locations – and Turkey isn't one of them. It doesn't come with any unblocking abilities, either.

Privacy & security

NordVPN has its very own NordWhisper, which uses advanced obfuscation techniques to bypass even the most challenging network filtering techniques and VPN-specific blocks, which are usually difficult for typical obfuscation to overcome.

In tandem with the super-secure and fast NordLynx protocol, NordWhisper allows NordVPN users to communicate and work freely even in an online environment as restrictive as Turkey's.

There's plenty more for security obsessives to like, including Double VPN (routes your traffic through two servers for extra security), Onion over VPN (which leverages the mighty secure Tor network to keep your data away from intrusive Turkish authorities), and Threat Protection Pro (which blocks phishing attacks, malware, and web tracking).

NordVPN has also always been up to the mark with its no-logs policy, as it undergoes regular third-party audits to prove its reliability. The most recent one was in February of this year, when independent auditors confirmed for the fifth time that NordVPN never stored user data.

Ease of use

Even though they're not our top choice for VPN newbies – that accolade belongs to ExpressVPN – NordVPN's apps are simple enough to get started with and connect to servers inside and outside Turkey. Plus, thanks to connection speeds of over 950 Mbps, you'll rarely have to deal with buffering or drops, even if you're streaming or gaming.

Although you won't have much to do with NordVPN's apps once you're connected (which hardly takes a minute), the map-like interfaces are a slight negative for us. They're not all bad, however, as they look and work great on tablets and PCs and only feel cumbersome on the smaller screens of mobile phones.

Also, NordVPN's installation process on Linux can be a bit daunting since there's no GUI. However, unlike Proton VPN, NordVPN provides 24/7 customer support, which should promptly provide you with all the help you need.

Privacy & security

Surfshark has built its custom obfuscation technology, called Camouflage Mode, that allows users to escape VPN bans and government censorship in restrictive regimes like Turkey. For an extra kick to your security, we recommend using Surfshark's MultiHop, which works similarly to NordVPN's Double VPN – it routes your traffic through two servers instead of one to boost encryption.

Thanks to Surfshark's rotating IP feature, you can put to rest any concerns you might have about having your online activities tracked by the Turkish authorities or other bad actors. This feature uses Surfshark's Nexus technology to change your IP address every five minutes, making it nearly impossible to track you down online.

Surfshark's NoBorders feature, on the other hand, detects if you're facing network restrictions and then automatically connects you to the best-performing servers. Its no-logs policy is not only clear-cut and easy to find, but it was also audited in 2023, so you can rest assured Surfshark doesn't retain any data about you.

Alternative ID is Surfshark's crown jewel of security features, primarily because you won't find anything similar elsewhere. Essentially, it creates a new online identity for you (complete with a legitimate email and a full name) that you can use to subscribe to online sites and newsletters, such as foreign independent news magazines, without the fear of being caught by authorities.

Ease of use

Despite being a super affordable VPN, Surfshark's apps are no less polished or easy to use than the competition. Surfshark has apps for almost every single device, and we're happy to report that they all have some of the most self-explanatory setups we've seen. There are jargon-free installation guides if you need them, though.

Getting connected is just as straightforward. All you have to do is click the Quick Connect button on the homepage, which will connect you to your nearest server. To connect to a server in Turkey, you can either scroll through the list of servers or simply type the country's name in the search box at the top.

Important privacy features, like MultiHop and Alternative ID, that might come in handy in Turkey are all quickly accessible via the app's homepage.

There's not much to complain about here, but if anything, we found that Surfshark's apps aren't as customizable. While this might twitch the pros a fair bit, VPN beginners probably appreciate the simplicity.

Privacy & security

Right off the bat, ExpressVPN impresses with its transparent no-logs policy, which has been audited by reliable third parties (like PwC and KPMG) over 18 times now. Combined with AES-256 encryption, a robust kill switch, IPv6 leak protection, and its very own WireGuard-inspired Lightway protocol, ExpressVPN won't let snoopers anywhere near your sensitive data.

It's worth noting that all of ExpressVPN's 3,000+ servers run on only RAM. Its servers never write any data to disk, meaning all data is wiped with every reboot. In other words, even if the Turkish law enforcement comes knocking on ExpressVPN's doors and seizes its servers, there won't be any data to examine.

Speaking of ExpressVPN's commitment to user privacy, it was one of the first VPNs to build quantum-resistant encryption into its apps. This means hackers who steal and store your VPN traffic in the hopes that they'll decrypt it later won't actually be able to do so.

Ease of use

If not for its excellent security, ExpressVPN would have made it to this list on the back of its ease of use alone. It's simply the best VPN for beginners, irrespective of whether you use it to boost your online privacy, unblock overseas content (including social media apps if you're in Turkey), or engage in thrilling online games.

Once you've installed and set up the app using either the username and password or a QR code, you'll be greeted with a big Connect button. One tap and you're protected instantly – and, of course, there's a simple list of servers if you fancy a local connection in Turkey. Even better, the experience is nearly identical on all device types.

In our testing, we were able to get hold of a live human agent in as little as 30 seconds. There's also a rich knowledgebase of help articles you can use for troubleshooting.

Privacy & security

While PIA doesn't offer the same breadth of extra cybersecurity tools as NordVPN or Surfshark, it has everything it needs to keep your online activities secure and hidden from Turkish ISPs and government agencies.

PIA is the only VPN on our list to have proven its no-logs policy in court - not once but twice. When the judiciary asked it to hand over internet browsing data from its customers, it didn't comply because it couldn't. It didn't store any customer data in the first place.

Upon testing PIA's encrypted DNS servers, we didn't notice any leakage, and its kill switch also proved to be highly reliable. This is exactly how you'd want your VPN's data-handling practices to be if you're in a country like Turkey, where the government seeks total control over the internet and the citizens' online habits.

There's also a handy MACE feature, which is a DNS-based malware protection service that automatically blocks suspicious URLs.

The only point of concern with PIA could be that it's based in the US, which is typically a jurisdiction we avoid recommending. However, given PIA's track record in court and long list of independent audits (the most recent one was conducted in April 2024), it'd be fair to consider it an exception.

Ease of use

PIA is admittedly not the prettiest VPN out there. Despite that, you do have the option to tap the connect button and exit the app. Stay any longer, and you might find its long list of tweakable settings and performance statistics a tad overwhelming.

It's exactly what a tech-savvy VPN user may be after, though. Simply put, PIA's apps are all generally pretty easy to use, so long as you're committed to keeping it that way.

However, PIA doesn't offer the QR code method for sign-in, which could mean installing it on your smart TV, Apple TV, or Fire Stick takes longer, but it's manageable.