PHONES

     The cheapest way to make domestic calls is from a public phone using a phone card sold at the post office (PTT). If the PTT is closed, you can usually find local entrepreneurs selling cards at a slight mark up near the public phones.

     Your next challenge is to find a phone. Lift the hand set and push the language button for either English, German or French and see what it says. If its says, "Welcome," you have a phone that is working. Insert the phone card according to the arrow and you''re ready to start dialing. Inside Turkey numbers outside your area code require a 0+ area code + number. Bodrum and Datca, for example, are in the same area code and don''t require an 0 + area code. If you dial an area code when you don''t need one, you''ll just get a busy signal.

     If you use a Contour Telephone at your pension or a shop, expect to pay 3 to 4 times the PTT rate. These are not the phones tobe used for International calls. To make a long distance international call you will need at least one 100 unit phone card. It maybe good for from 2 - 4 minutes. The card is around $4. If you wish to dial an operator in your home country, use the home direct phone number, which is free.