Guidance

Turkey: mental health support abroad

Information about support for British nationals experiencing mental health difficulties in Turkey.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
6 June 2023

What to do in an emergency

In an emergency, you can:

  • call 112 for emergency services for ambulance or police, 24 hours a day. Police intervention might be needed together with ambulance services
  • go to the nearest hospital emergency ward (‘Acil Servis’ in Turkish) at any hospital. You may be asked to provide some medical background, such as previous mental health history and medication, to assist with assessment and treatment

Not all emergency operators and medical staff speak English. It would be very helpful if you could provide any medical background including previous mental health episodes or diagnoses to assist with assessment and previous or current medication to consider treatment.

After the assessment by the hospital/doctors, if necessary, they will prescribe medication or refer you to a specialist.

This list of mental health centres (Turkish only) provides location and contact details.

You may also find the page on emergency help for British nationals in Turkey useful.

Help from the British embassy or consulate

If you need support for mental health issues in Turkey but are not sure how to access it, contact the British embassy or consulate.

Find out what help they can give you in a medical emergency abroad.

Less urgent mental health support if you’re living in Turkey

See our travel advice for Turkey. We also provide a list of medical facilities in Turkey

Turkey and the UK do not have reciprocal healthcare agreements. You should buy comprehensive travel and medical insurance before you enter the country.

European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) are not valid in Turkey.

The NHS has information for people moving abroad.

Turkish universal healthcare

You can join the Turkish Universal Health Scheme (Genel Sağlık Sigortası, GSS) if you have been resident for 1 year or more with a residence permit that is still valid.

Married couples may qualify for joint membership where one is the policyholder and the other is the dependant spouse. However, a British national who receives a UK state pension can only be a member of the scheme as a policyholder, not as a dependant spouse.

You should contact your local Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu (SGK) (Turkish only) office for more information on the scheme.

Less urgent care if you’re visiting Turkey

If you are visiting Turkey and need to see a doctor because you feel unwell or need a repeat prescription, you can do so by visiting a local state hospital, a private hospital or a private doctor.

Prescriptions

If you are on holiday or have recently moved to Turkey and need a repeat or replacement prescription, you can contact a local state hospital, private hospital or private doctor.

Carrying a copy of your prescription can help doctors to find the same or similar medication.

The use or possession of some common prescription and over-the-counter medicines is controlled in Turkey. For more information on controlled medicines and the relevant documentation required, contact the nearest Turkish Embassy or Consulate before you travel. See this guidance from NaTHNaC (National Travel Health Network and centre) on best practice when traveling with medicines

While travel can be enjoyable, it can sometimes be challenging. There are clear links between mental and physical health, so looking after yourself during travel and when abroad is important. Information on travelling with mental health conditions is available in our guidance page. Further information is also available from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) You should also check bringing medicine containing a controlled drug into the UK

Involuntary hospitalisation

Involuntary hospitalisation is used when a person presents a risk to themselves or others and refuses treatment or assessment.

In Turkey, the Civil Court of Peace (‘Sulh Hukuk Mahkemesi’) gives the decision for involuntary hospitalisation.

An involuntary hospitalisation does not exceed 3 weeks – an extension may be requested from the court with the doctor’s report.

If you have mental health needs and have been hospitalized without your consent, the hospital may or may not contact the British consulate.

For more information you can visit:

Guardianship

If you live in Turkey and the Turkish health authorities decide you are unable to care for yourself due to poor health and lack of mental or physical capacity, the court may appoint a legal guardian to look after your interests.

Following appropriate mental and physical evaluation, the local Turkish authorities will usually try to appoint someone close to you, a spouse or other family member.

In the cases where it is not possible to make a custody or restriction decision according to the national law of the foreigner, if the person’s habitual residence is in Turkey, a guardianship or restriction decision may be made or removed according to Turkish law.

Returning to the UK

Your travel insurance company may cover repatriation costs, if you have a valid policy. Neither the Turkish nor British authorities can fund repatriation, but hospitals might help with the arrangements. We can help you contact travel care services at UK airports who may be able to support you on return to the UK. See medical repatriation companies in the UK for more information on specific medical repatriations.

Additional information

UK help and services in Turkey

If you need urgent help, please contact us on Turkey +90 (0)312 4553344 or UK +44 (0) 20 700 85000. These lines are open 24/7 and 365 days of the year offering consular assistance and support.

If you need advice, you can contact us online using our contact form to send us your enquiry.

Information about the services you can access if you’re visiting, studying, working or living in Turkey can be found in our Living in Turkey guide.

UK organisations

These UK organisations may be able to help you before you travel, or help family and friends in the UK. Some can only help people who are in the UK. As independent organisations, the FCDO cannot be held responsible in any way for their advice and/or any decisions and outcomes that result from this.

International organisations

These international organisations may be able to help you whilst you are overseas. The FCDO cannot be held responsible in any way for their advice and/or any decisions or outcomes that result from this.

Support in Turkey

Feedback

FCDO welcomes your views on the support it provides, to help identify what it does well and what it could do better. Contact FCDO using the feedback contact form.

Disclaimer

Read the disclaimer relating to this guidance.

Published 6 June 2023
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