Toilets in Turkey

I went on this tour last month. Two types of toilets were available everywhere we went except on the boat for the Bosporus cruise. The tour guide was keen to ensure the group’s comfort when planning stops. They were no holes in the floor but rather functional units. They were alaturka toilets or squat toilets and alafranga toilets or sit-down toilets.

I recently spent a month in Turkey, mostly in Istanbul but also 5 days in Bursa. I only had to use a squat toilet one time, in a smallish mosque way off the tourist path. Everywhere else, there was at least one western-style toilet. Mind you, I never needed to use a toilet in a restaurant, so I don't know what you'd find there. If I wasn't in a museum or on my way to one, I looked for a mosque, remembering Rick's comment that mosque toilets are clean. That proved to be the case. There were times when I had to supply my own toilet paper, though. The t.p. doesn't go in the toilet, by the way.

You will very often (maybe always) find the western-style toilet has a little nozzle at the back that squirts a stream of water to clean the body so you only need to use t.p. to pat yourself dry. The knob/handle controlling the water will probably be on the wall to the right. Unfortunately, in a few cases the nozzle squirted the water just a bit too low, so it went forward, under the toilet seat. I assume that happens when the toilet seat has to be replaced and the new one fits differently from the original.

Learn to squat! 🙂

We took this tour back in 2017. Everyplace we went had both types of toilets. I did have to stop the bus once and was able to use the business toilet. That was a squat toilet. Not the cleanest, meaning the floor and area was not clean, just dirty with poor mopping. The toilet was clean. I managed.

As people get older, they lose certain gestures unless they are practiced. Squatting is definitely one. So I'll try to say it more gently than Continental did😉: you can practice your squats at home and hopefully you'll be fine with any kind of toilet. Just roll up your pants leg.

I also did this tour last month and as has been noted, nearly everywhere there was a western style option. This usually meant that there was long wait for the women in the group, as most preferred the western option and there was often only one stall. In bigger tourist areas the outside of the stall will have an image of a squat or western toilet so you know before going in. Definitely bring packages of tissues as back up for toilet paper, which is often missing or not working (and if so, be kind to your tourmates and tell them as you exit the stall, they'll appreciate you). And as acraven noted, if there is a garbage can in the stall, that's where the paper goes.

There were two places where only a squat was available - the home visit for lunch in Cappadocia and the visit with the imam at the mosque. In both cases we made a comfort stop not too long after.

One squatting tip I probably read on this forum a few years ago: bend forward before you squat!

You don't have to go to Turkey to encounter squat toilets. I ran into two in southern France (and I don't know that there was a western option), and one of Rick's recommended restaurants in Padua was mentioned in the guide book as having a squat toilet. They are also present in Ukraine, and I saw at least one in Croatia (in Istria).

For our home hosted lunch at a very interesting layout there was a restroom conveniently located for guests. It was a one person entry room that had two toilets - sit and squat styles.

Also, I just remembered that on the cruise boat the women’s toilet was sit style. This information was relayed to me by my female traveling buddy while we were on the ship.

Like all have said, there were 2 toilet options at all the tour stops. I just wanted to add that you will absolutely be requested to "bin" your used tp. Same thing in Greece.

I haven't been on the Best of Turkey tour, but I have spent a total of 9 weeks in Turkey over the past decade, including some areas that are off the usual tourist track. I have encountered only one instance -- a set of porta-potties at Phaselis -- where a western style toilet was not available. In that instance, I opted simply to wait until my taxi returned me to Kemer a few miles away.