Getting lira at bank atm at Istanbul airpot

We got some cash from the airport ATMs. The challenge was finding one with money. Several did not.
Post offices have the best rates.

Thank you for reply. Bummer that many were out of cash. I am aware this isn’t the best place to get cash. We just need to pay driver and get quick bite once settled that might mean having cash. Just wanted to get $100 in lira.

I made identical withdrawals on 2 consecutive days, one at IST airport and one at an ATM outside my hotel. Neither was a bank ATM.

August 20, 2024 at IST airport, outside Exit 13
Paid $32.67 for 1000 Turkish Lira, including the fee (I don't recall the amount)
Various exchange rate tables for that date calculate it at $29.49.

August 21, 2024 in town,
Paid $31.91 for 1000 Turkish Lira, including the 64 TL fee
Nearly the same exchange rate as the prior day

The bank ATMs that I found in town were charging similar fees, whereas 2 years prior, they were not. I didn't try any bank ATMs outside the tourist areas and I didn't try the postal ATMs.

Just wanted to get $100 in lira

I don't recall whether $100 lira was a withdrawal option at ATMs; there might have been a larger minimum, which may have varied depending on the available bills.

Good information. Thank you. Do you key in how many lira needed or how much USD to change for lira?

The ATMs usually give you a menu of amounts to select, however when I was in Turkey last August we found the ATMs sometimes selected the amount for us. Not everyone has this experience, but we did.

In other words, our requested amount wasn't available, but a smaller amount was.

Do you key in how many lira needed or how much USD to change for lira?

Key in the lira amount. Very often, you will select the lira amount from a menu of options. Some ATMs may also have had an "Other Amount" type function.

BTW, the ATMs I visited (airport and tourist areas) all had language options that included English.

You can face two different limits at ATMs - one from your home bank (mine has a daily limit on ATM withdrawals) and the other from the ATM itself (could be a cap on withdrawals, or it may not have the number of bills you need to complete the transaction). Sometimes just trying different amounts will get a result. Using (and finding) a money exchange to change US dollars will be much less favorable than using an ATM. Can you find out if you can pay the driver ahead online, instead of in cash? I used a service that allowed me to do this so all I needed was a small tip for my driver.

I'm going to throw out an unpopular idea in this forum, but consider ordering some currency from your local bank before you go. I did this to eliminate the stress of tracking down an ATM on arrival after an extremely long travel day. Was the exchange rate great? Not really, but sometimes paying for piece of mind is definitely worth it. I do not know when you are going to Turkey but if it's not for a few months wait a bit to order the currency as the exchange rate can fluctuates a lot and given the current situation in the country you may get an even more favorable rate (or not, it could go either way).

Thanks CL. I actually considered getting lira stateside knowing the exchange rate would be awful. We don’t go till September so plenty of time. We will have been traveling for 18 hours combining flight and connecting time plus jet lag from 9 time zones. So the simpler our entry is the better. The hotel will arrange our transportation which saves us having to give directions or address.

GerriPat the exchange rate when I got lira wasn't that bad, just a bit more expensive than if I had waited for an ATM. Since you are not going until September you have time to research what local banks or AAA office you can use and what they charge. I ordered through my credit union, which charges a small fee for the service but again I was buying convenience. I'd also ask the hotel if they can add the airport transfer to your hotel bill so you don't have to mess with that either.