In Turkey toilets come in two varieties: the traditional squat variety which is known as alaturca, and the more familiar pedestal variety which is called alafranga. If your travels are restricted to İstanbul, Cappadocia and the coast you will rarely encounter an a la turka loo. Elsewhere, however, they are still quite common, especially at bus stations. You use them by straddling the hole and then pouring water down the drain using the plastic jug provided (or a small hose). There is usually a small charge to use the toilet.
There was a time when having to use a public toilet here was potentially alarming, especially as almost all of them were of the squat variety. Nowadays, though, the situation is much improved and it’s only in very remote, usually eastern locations that you really need to worry about calls of nature. In the parts of İstanbul most frequented by visitors, businesses, especially restaurants and private museums, seem to compete to come up with the flashiest, most hi-tech bathroom facilities.
The worst problems come when travelling since the bathrooms in bus stations can still be depressing. Not all will have toilet paper in the cubicles although you can usually pick some up on the way in from the custodian. Nor are there always pedestal toilets to supplement the squatters – walk to the far end of the cubicles before despairing since they often put these – the least desirable toilets in many Turkish eyes – furthest away from the entrance.
Increasingly, at least in rest facilities in the west of the country, there will be one toilet adapted for disabled access. There may also be facilities for changing babies’ nappies, especially in shopping malls.
In emergencies remember that all mosques have toilets for men and women. Usually these will be of the squat variety and the women’s may not always be open. Standards of cleanliness are often disappointing.
Many modern private homes come with two separate bathrooms, one with a squat toilet for older, more conservative guests, the other a pedestal for younger ones.
