Emergencies

  • First Aid / Ambulance For all districts — Tel: 112
  • Forest Fires For all districts — Tel: 177
  • Police Nicosia — Tel: 228 3311
  • Police Kyrenia — Tel: 815 2014
  • Police Famagusta — Tel: 366 5310
  • Police Guzelyurt — Tel: 714 2140
  • Police Karpaz — Tel: 381 2325

 

Medical Services and Hospitals

The Central State Hospitals is in Nicosia and there are other smaller hospitals in Kyrenia, Famagusta, Guzelyurt and Lefke. There are also clinics in smaller towns and some villages.

Postal Services

The postal service in Northern Cyprus is reasonably fast and efficient. Please remember that to receive mail from abroad letters must be addressed ” Mersin 10-Turkey”

Public Holidays

  • 1 January – New Year`s Day
  • 23 April – Children`s Day
  • 1 May – Labour Day
  • 19 May – Youth and Sports Day
  • 20 July – Peace and Freedom Day
  • 30 August – Victory Day
  • 29 October – Turkish Republic Day
  • 15 November – Northern Cyprus Republic Day

There are also several religious holidays or “Bayrams” which, like the Christian festival of Easter, change every year.

Telephone

The code for England is 00 44 followed by the local number but omitting the first number (0). From abroad the code is 00 90 392 followed by the local Cypriot number. Public telephone booths are available and telephone cards can be purchased from the Telecommunications Office. Mobile operating systems are available in North Cyprus and you can get pay-as-you-go cards for mobile and 3G usage.

Foreign Affairs in Northern Cyprus

  • Australian Representative — Tel: 2277332
  • French Cultural Association — Tel: 2283328
  • German Representative — Tel: 2275161
  • Turkish Embassy — Tel: 2272314 – Fax: 2282209
  • UK Representative — Tel: 2283861 – Fax: 2287054
  • USA Representative — Tel: 2252440 – Fax: 2252442

Business / Shopping Hours

In the winter:

Shops open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 5:00 a.m.

In the summer:

The working hours are between 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and again from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Cinema

There are six very good cinemas in Lefkosa, two in Girne and two in Gazi Magusa. They show recently released films mainly from the West. Films are usually changed every week and are shown with their original soundtracks and Turkish subtitles.

Conference Facilities

These facilities can be found at all universities, major hotels and at the Ataturk Cultural Centre in Nicosia.

Mass Media

There is one state TV and radio channel and a handful of private ones also some English channels. There are numerous daily newspapers one of which is weekly and in English.

Airports

Northern Cyprus has two international airports. The larger of the two is Ercan near Lefkosa (Nicosia), the othe is Geitkale near Famagusta. Most international flights arrive at Ercan Airport (ECN).

Boats (Ferries)

There are regular ferry services from Kyrenia and Famagusta to towns on the Southern coast of Turkey, namely Mersin, Antalya and Tasucu. From Mersin, it is possible to sail to Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Marinas

There are yacht mooring facilities in Kyrenia and Famagusta.

Ports

The main industrial port in Northern Cyprus is in Famagusta and Kyrenia.

Car rental

This service is available in all major towns and some hotels. A British or international drivers licence is required. Rental cars have red number plates.

Public transport

A good inexpensive network of buses and mini-buses operates between all the main towns, in addition there are Dolmush (shared taxis) operating on the same routes. Taxis are widely available but do not carry a meter. However, there are standard journey charges

Traffic information

Please drive on the left. Traffic and road signs are international. Maximum speed is 100 km/hr. Vehicles entering Northern Cyprus must be insured upon arrival. Seat belts must be worn. Drivers are prohibited to drive under the influence of alcohol. The limit is 50mgr.