Ankara - Post Report Question and Answers
How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Turkish Post is very good - recommend Trendyol for a local version of Amazon. Otherwise, DPO and Pouch both work well. - Nov 2023
DPO/pouch. Takes the typical two to three weeks for packages to arrive. I have not used the local postal facilities. - Jan 2023
We get ours through the US Embassy. DPO. Most mail takes a few weeks, but we've had a lot missent recently (Ankara and Addis are the same zip with 2 numbers transposed). We have not sent through the local post office, but they are all over the place. We do use cargo within the country if we order from a Turkish store. Delivery comes in a few days. - Nov 2021
We use the US Embassy’s mail system for anything from the States. There is a pouch and DPO service. On average packages take 1-2 weeks. Letters can take 3-4 weeks. There are lots of options for affordable online shopping from Turkish websites and those packages usually arrive within 2-3 at residences. - Sep 2020
The Embassy has both DPO and pouch service. We received a letter from a friend in Eastern Europe once; it took about a month to travel the distance of a 60-minute Turkish Air flight from Istanbul. - Oct 2018
Diplomatic bag. Goods ordered from overseas, and sent via normal post, are subject to large customs fees. The fees can be hundreds of dollars, and there does not seem to be a system, so no way of predicting the charges. - Oct 2018
DPO and pouch. - Sep 2018
I use the DPO at the embassy. If you are active duty or retired military you may use the APO at Ankara Support Facility. - Jul 2018
We use DPO. DHL and others are here too. - Oct 2017
Through diplomatic pouch and DPO. Local mail services are good but they run differently than in the US. You pick your mail up from the facility, it's not delivered directly. My wife is Turkish and uses it, but without the language you would struggle. - Sep 2017
DPO, it takes anywhere from one to three weeks depending on how lucky you get with the pouch. Local postal facilities are up to the European standard but we don't use them regularly. - Jun 2017
DPO and Pouch - Sep 2016
DPO. - Jun 2016
DPO. UPS does ship here, customs takes for ever. - Aug 2015
Though the FPO at the Embassy. We have had a package arrive in local mail and went to the nearest PTT to retrieve it without issue or much of a wait. - Feb 2015
DPO . - Jun 2014
DPO. We had many things not arrive or with items removed from the package. Things have changed though. - Apr 2014
Through the Embassy. Mail usually takes about 2 weeks and when it is longer, people complain. This post has normal mail delivery times through the DPO. - Mar 2014
DPO. There is a huge problems with the mail. Many packages get lost; all of the local mail room staff was let go due to irregularities discovered. - Mar 2014
Through the Embassy DPO. Generally packages take 2 weeks, but I have seen things take 6 weeks or longer. Lots of lost packages at this post! - Jul 2013
Primarily via the APO/pouch. - Aug 2011
APO. About a week to receive a package. - Jul 2010
