When I was in Turkey on summer holydays I didn't changed money for turkish liras. I paid everything in US dollars. Prices were the same either I pay in USD or in euro. So, of course, it was more advantageous to pay in USD. Now I come to Turkey again but this time I want exchange money for turkish lira. But really I don't know what is better - euro or dollars. Seems, like there is almost no difference between rates for euro and dollars? Am I right? Does it mean that to change dollars is more profitable? Please, help me.. I really don't know how to do....Teşekkürler

I don't want to send money to Turkey. I just need to know the exchange rate of euro and usd to turkish liras. Staying in Turkey, what money is better to change - dollars or euro?

Actually. I just checked it is not such a BIG difference when you convert to Turkish Lira - which is strange. Anyway the exchange rate is as follows:-

1 NTL = 0.5153 Euro
1 NTL = 0.6870 USD

and 1 NTL = 0.3475 GBP

I don't understand the point of exchanging to dollars for holiday purposes (unless you're from the US). I always advice anyone I know to have liras because when the rates for foreign currency change shop owners don't change their prices. I know that last summer, you could save 1/3 paying in liras compared to euros.
Also it's Turkey. Yani, lira is the national currency.

well said

Even though Turkey is part of Europe, the dollar is far more used here than the euro. Most high ticket items here are paid in dollars (cars, homes, computers). When i bought my flat, i literally had a duffle bag full of dollars! Many people here, including myself, get paid in dollars from their jobs, not YTL.

There was also a question about transfering money to Turkey. In order to send money to someones bank account here, they have to have two accounts, one for lira and one for dollars. To receive euro, you would need to have a euro account also. Once the money is transfered, you have to tell the bank to convert it and transfer it into your YTL account. The lira flucuates so much, it is safer to keep the money as dollars until you need it, and then convert to lira. Otherwise, you can easily lose 10% of its value in a bad week.

Finally, of course places will accept dollars and euros equally. Most tourists here are european and bring euro. Most will convert their euro to lira but not euro to dollar. So if they pay for some things in euro, the restaurant or shop makes even more money than they already make on unfavorable exchange rates.

So my advise to anyone coming here is to only convert a small amount of money to YTL at the airport when you get here. Then, only exchange small amounts on your trip. Wherever you are traveling, be aware where a doviz is so that you know where to exchange money quickly when you need to.

Keith, this is the most useful piece of information I have seen on here for ages! Thanks. I would normally take Lira. But Makes sense using dollars whilst the exchange rate is in our favour (nearly $2 to £1)