Those who wish to enter the country with their vans, minibuses, automobiles, station wagons, bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses, motor coaches, trailers, caravans or other vehicles, will have to provide the following documentation:
- Passport,
- International driving license,
- Car license (document where all details related to the car and the owner´s name is registered. (If it is somebody else´s vehicle a power of attorney should be provided)
- International green card (insurance card) The TR sign should be visible,
- Transit book "Carnet de passage" (for those who wants to proceed to the Middle East)

Period

The vehicle can be brought into Turkey for up to 6 months. The owner should declare on the opposite of the form, the date of departure at the border gate and should absolutely leave the country by the date declared. If any important reason the staying period has to be extended, contact before the end of the period declared.

The Turkish Touring and Automobile Club (Türkiye Turing ve Otomobil Kulübü
Tel: (212) 282 81 40 (7 lines), Fax: (212) 288 80 42
and
The General Directorate of Customs (Gümrükler Genel Müdürlügü Ankara
Tel: (312) 310 38 80, 310 38 18 Fax: (312) 311 13 46

In case of an accident

Do not move your automobile no matter how badly you are blocking the way for others. If your automobile is moved the police will not take down the report. The accident should be reported to the police or gendarme. That report has to be certified by the nearest local authority. The owner should go to the customs authority with his passport and report.

If the vehicle can be repaired, it is necessary to inform the customs authority first and then take the vehicle to a garage. If the vehicle is not repairable and if the owner wishes to leave the country without his vehicle, he has to deliver it to the nearest customs office, and the registration of his vehicle on his passport will be cancelled. (Only after the cancellation can the owner of the vehicle leave the country,)

Following an accident, you can call

Trafik Polisi (Trafic Police) 154
Jandarma (Gendarme) 156
For more information contact Turkish Touring

Traffic rules and regulations

Traffic circulates on the right and the Turkish Highway code is similar to those of European countries. Outside cities, traffic moves freely. The Istanbul-Ankara highway being the only one on which traffic is heavy. There is a 50-km/h speed limit in urban centers and a 90 km/h outside urban centers and 120 km/h on motorways.Turkey has an extensive network of well-maintained roads, linking its towns, cities and popular tourist areas.

Maps

You can find a good Turkish road map at any major bookstore or at the links provided below. An extremely useful guide for anyone visiting Turkey whether it be temporary or permanent would be the A to Z Istanbul Guide.

Thanks for this information!  Very helpful   What sort of penalities would you get if you got caught driving illegally or over the drink/drive limit?  Or would a quick bribe do the trick?

Effective from January 1, 2007 the traffic fines are increased by 7.8%:

Disregard red light: 108 YTL
Drinking and driving for the first time (over 0.50 promil): 513 YTL
Drinking and driving for the second time: 562 YTL
Drinking and driving for the third time: 899 YTL
Not to register the vehicle within one month after purchasing: 108 YTL
Not carrying the vehicle registration document, broken lights, vehicle inspection violation: 52 YTL
Driving without having a driving license: 222 YTL
Not carrying the driving license or avoiding showing the license when requested: 108 YTL
%10-30 over the speed limit: 108 YTL
%30 and more, over the speed limit 222 YTL
Not obeying parking ban, not having traffic insurance, playing music with high volume:
52 YTL
Parking at areas reserved for disabled: 105 YTL
Driving permanently on the left line: 108 YTL
Smoking in public transportation vehicles: 58 YTL
Carrying devices pre-locating the radar: 352 YTL

If we get caught over the drink and drive limit, we would loose our license for at least 12 months, sometimes 24 months.  But then we also have these things now, if you get caught speeding then you can go on a speeding awareness course (not free!) and reduce your penalties.  The same with drink drive, you can take a drink awarenss course too.   But our penalites are never quie so straightforward.  We do have fixed penalities, but then depending if you have to go to court or not, can be variable.

Thanks a lot, it was very useful information for those who plan to travel to Turkey by their own car!

Maybe you can answer my question about crossing The Second Istanbul Bridge: can I buy a card at KGS satis for ONLY CROSSING THE BRIDGE, not with 30 YTL credits?

No you cant.  You need to buy a card valid for a number of crossings, not just one.  The card can also be used on any toll roads e.g. the Edirne Istanbul motorway (TEM), the Istanbul Ankara motorway etc.

See the detailed answers on the other thread opened about this.

Thank you very much, Marion