Emergency numbers, tourist police, hospitals, scams and safety tips for Istanbul, Türkiye. Every Safety Centre page is pre-cached in the free CityNav app, so these numbers load instantly — even with no signal or roaming data.
Open CityNav Free → See Istanbul transit guideSource: Turkish Government (icisleri.gov.tr)
Istanbul Tourism Police (Turizm Polisi) — 0212 527 4503
A dedicated Tourism Police unit operates in Sultanahmet (near the main tourist sites) with multilingual officers to help visitors with crimes and disputes; dial 112/155 for emergencies.
Private hospitals offer high-quality care with English-speaking staff (Istanbul is a medical-tourism hub), while public emergency rooms treat urgent cases. Tourists pay and should have travel insurance. Dial 112 for an ambulance. Private hospitals are recommended for foreigners; pharmacies (eczane) help with minor issues.
Embassies are in Ankara; Istanbul hosts many consulates, mostly around Beyoğlu (Taksim/İstiklal) and Şişli. Search your own country's directory for the nearest consulate.
Find your embassy in Türkiye →Save these to your phone — CityNav keeps them available offline so you can show or say them even without signal.
| English | Local | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | İmdat! | im-DAHT |
| Call the police | Polisi arayın | po-LEE-see ah-rah-YUHN |
| I need a doctor | Doktora ihtiyacım var | dok-toh-RAH ih-tee-yah-JUHM var |
| Where is the hospital? | Hastane nerede? | hah-stah-NEH NEH-reh-deh |
| I'm lost | Kayboldum | kai-bol-DOOM |
Dial 112 for all emergencies (police, ambulance and fire are unified under 112); 155 also reaches police. The Tourism Police in Sultanahmet assist visitors.
Istanbul is generally safe at night in tourist and busy areas; avoid following strangers to bars, steer clear of demonstrations, and keep valuables secure.
Call 112/155 if in danger; report to police or the Tourism Police (Sultanahmet) to get a report for insurance, and cancel stolen cards immediately.
Regular police may speak limited English, but the dedicated Tourism Police in Sultanahmet have multilingual officers to help foreign visitors.
Last verified: 2026-08-14
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