Questions and answers

Questions and answers

The questions people ask in their first months in Türkiye, answered directly. If yours is not here, write to us.

The basics

What is Diwan Türkiye?

Diwan Türkiye is a free app for people living in Türkiye. It puts a residence-permit tracker, a city directory of hospitals, government offices and libraries, emergency numbers with ready Turkish phrases, university profiles, prices and currency conversion, and place-based discussions in one place. It was built first for the Yemeni community in Türkiye; at this early stage its place data is Ankara, and the destination is the whole country. Most of it is open to any resident of any nationality.

Is Diwan Türkiye free?

Yes, entirely free. There is no subscription, no paid tier, and no feature behind a payment. The only thing that needs an extra step is the Yemeni union's private content — that is free too, but it requires an approved membership.

Do I have to be Yemeni to use the app?

No. The residence-permit tracker, emergencies, the Turkish phrasebook, the city directory, events, university profiles, prices, currency conversion and place discussions are open to any resident of Türkiye, whatever their nationality — and to guests browsing without an account. Only the Yemeni community section requires a membership.

Do I need an account to use the app?

Not for most of it. You can browse as a guest and see the directory, prices, emergency information and events. You need an account when you want to take part: to post in a discussion, rate a place, submit a price, or save your permit date in the tracker.

Is there an iPhone version?

Yes. Diwan Türkiye is on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android. Same app, same features, free on both.

What languages does the app work in?

Arabic, Turkish and English. Arabic is built right-to-left natively rather than bolted on as a translation. The terms on residence documents stay in the language you will actually see at the office, so you can recognise the word on the paper in front of you.

Does the app work outside Ankara?

Partly, today. The tools that are not tied to a place — the permit tracker, currency conversion, the Turkish emergency phrases and emergency numbers — work anywhere in Türkiye. The place-based content, meaning the directory, prices and events, is Ankara data so far: the app is in its early stages and started in the city we know. The destination is all of Türkiye, and each new city arrives as users there begin building it.

Residence permit (ikamet)

How do I know when my residence permit expires?

Enter your permit's expiry date once, and the app shows the days remaining and your status on the home screen at a glance. This is the first reason the app exists: so that you know your own deadline before it surprises you.

Will the app remind me before my permit expires?

Yes. It gives you a clear status and reminders ahead of the expiry date, not on the day itself. A late renewal is not a minor paperwork issue, which is why the warning comes early on purpose.

What do I need to renew my residence permit?

The app carries a preparation checklist and a step-by-step walkthrough of the renewal path, so you know what to have ready before you go. Official requirements change and vary by case, so treat the app as the guide that saves you a wasted trip — the migration authority remains the final word.

Does the app apply for my permit for me?

No. The app does not submit an application, fill in a form, or book an appointment on your behalf. Its job is to make sure you know your deadline, know what to prepare, and understand the next step — the application itself stays with the official channels.

Is the app official, or connected to the migration office?

No. Diwan Türkiye is an independent app built by people from the community itself. It is not affiliated with the Directorate General of Migration Management or any Turkish government body. What it holds is information and help, not official decisions.

Emergencies

What is the emergency number in Turkey?

112 is the single emergency number in Türkiye — ambulance, police and fire on one line. The app puts it behind one button, with ready Turkish phrases to say to whoever answers.

What do I do in an emergency if I do not speak Turkish?

Open the emergency section: it holds ready Turkish phrases grouped by situation — medical, police, fire — written the way they sound, so you can say them even if you cannot read Turkish. The point is to be understood in the first few seconds instead of hunting for a translator.

Is Diwan Türkiye an emergency service?

No. The app gives you numbers, phrases and contacts — it does not call anyone for you and does not pass your report to any authority. In an emergency, call 112 directly.

City and study

How do I find a hospital or a government office near me?

Through the in-app directory: hospitals, libraries, parks, museums, malls and government offices, with their locations on the map and ratings from users who have been there before you. A rating from someone who lives in the city tells you what the sign on the door does not. The places listed today are in Ankara; other cities are added as users arrive in them.

How do I find out what is happening in my city?

The events section shows gatherings, events and notices as they are posted — in Ankara today, the city the app started from. It is where someone newly arrived discovers there are people around them, before they know any of their names.

Can I look up universities?

Yes. The app carries university profiles and campus detail, so you know a place before you arrive — most useful to someone admitted to a university they have never seen.

Money and prices

How do I know if a price I was quoted is fair?

The price section collects what people are actually paying — groceries, eating out, housing — from users themselves, alongside verified benchmarks for essential services. The prices recorded so far are from Ankara. A newcomer in a new country is the easiest person to overcharge, and this section exists for exactly that reason.

Does the app convert currencies?

Yes, you can convert between currencies inside the app without leaving it to check a rate — which is what you need every time you transfer money or compare a price against your home currency.

Community

Do I have to join a union to get value from the app?

No. The permit tracker, emergencies, Turkish phrases, the directory, prices, events, universities and place discussions are all open with no membership. Membership only opens the Yemeni community section.

What does Yemeni union membership unlock?

It opens the members' question-and-help loop, the union's announcements and events, and its private discussions. The gate is not about money — membership is free — it is so that the person asking and the person answering are known to each other, because a wrong answer about a residence permit can cost someone a year.

How do I join the Yemeni union in the app?

Send a join request from inside the app, and the union's managers review and approve it. Joining is free, and the review is done by a person, not automatically.

Can I ask questions and get answers from real people?

Yes. Place-based discussions are open to everyone: whoever just arrived asks, and whoever came a year earlier answers. The wider question-and-help loop among Yemeni union members needs an approved membership.

What is the in-app assistant?

It is there for the small everyday questions that feel too minor to ask a person: where the nearest library is, how to say something in Turkish, what a given procedure involves. Treat it as a fast starting point, not the final word on anything official, medical or legal — for those, ask the relevant authority or a person who has been through it.

Account and privacy

How do I delete my account?

Inside the app: profile → scroll to the bottom → Delete account (on older versions: profile → More → Delete account). Your sign-in credentials are removed straight away and the erasure of your data begins at that moment. If you can no longer sign in, email [email protected] and we complete the deletion within 30 days of verification. The detail is on the account deletion page.

What happens to my posts if I delete my account?

Your account, profile and pictures are erased permanently. What you wrote in discussions, comments and reviews stays, with every link back to you severed: the author becomes deleted_user, with no name, picture or account reference. The reason is that other people replied to your words and built on them — deleting the whole thread would erase their contributions along with yours. The detail is on the account deletion page.

Where is my data held, and who controls it?

The data controller is the app developer, and the app operates as a Hosting Provider (Yer Sağlayıcı) under Turkish Law No. 5651 — which obliges us to retain connection data for one to two years even after an account is deleted. What we collect, why, and for how long is set out in the Privacy Policy and KVKK clarification text.

How do I report a post or a user?

Use the in-app Report button on the post, comment or user. For anything urgent, or anything touching child safety, email the safety officer at [email protected]. The full policy is in the Child Safety Standards.

I found a bug or wrong information. What should I do?

Email us with three things: your phone model, your OS version, and the screen where it happened — plus a screenshot if you can. Those three cut the fix time in half. The address is [email protected].

Diwan Türkiye is not an emergency service and not an official body. In an emergency, call 112.