Time in Istanbul
Istanbul uses Türkiye Time, UTC+3, all year. Türkiye stopped changing its clocks in 2016, when it stayed on summer time permanently. The clock shows the exact local time, today's sunrise and sunset and conversions.
- Time zone
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- Abbreviation
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- UTC offset
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- Daylight saving
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- Compared with your clock
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- IANA time zone:
- Europe/Istanbul
- Country:
- Türkiye
- Coordinates:
- 41.01° N, 28.98° E
- Clock changes in 2026:
- none, UTC+3 all year
Staying on summer time
Until 2016 Türkiye followed Eastern European Time, UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer, changing clocks with the European Union. In September 2016 the government decided not to turn the clocks back that autumn, so the country has kept UTC+3 permanently ever since. The change put Istanbul on the same time as Moscow, Riyadh and Nairobi, and one hour ahead of Athens in winter.
Because Istanbul lies at 29° east, far west of the 45° meridian that UTC+3 is based on, the clock now runs about an hour ahead of the sun. Solar noon falls close to 1:00 PM, and winter mornings are dark: in late December and early January sunrise is around 8:25 AM.
When to call Istanbul
Hours that fall inside 9:00–17:00 both in Istanbul and in the other city, using today's offsets.
Daylight in Istanbul
Monday, October 19, 2026, local time
- Sunrise
- 7:19 AM
- Sunset
- 6:17 PM
- Day length
- 10 h 58 min
- Solar noon
- 12:49 PM
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Oct 19 | 7:19 AM | 6:17 PM | 10 h 58 min |
| Tue, Oct 20 | 7:20 AM | 6:16 PM | 10 h 55 min−3′ |
| Wed, Oct 21 | 7:21 AM | 6:14 PM | 10 h 53 min−2′ |
| Thu, Oct 22 | 7:23 AM | 6:13 PM | 10 h 50 min−3′ |
| Fri, Oct 23 | 7:24 AM | 6:11 PM | 10 h 48 min−2′ |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 7:25 AM | 6:10 PM | 10 h 45 min−3′ |
| Sun, Oct 25 | 7:26 AM | 6:09 PM | 10 h 43 min−2′ |
Approximate times (usually within two minutes), calculated from the city's coordinates with the NOAA solar equations. Hills, tall buildings and unusual air refraction can shift what you see.
Daylight on two continents
Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus at 41° north, with districts in both Europe and Asia on the same clock. In June the sun rises around 5:30 AM and sets about 8:40 PM, roughly 15 hours of daylight. In December sunrise is near 8:20 AM and sunset around 5:40 PM, a little over 9 hours 15 minutes.
Working hours and calls with Europe and the US
Borsa Istanbul's equity market trades from 10:00 to 18:00, and offices usually work 9:00 to 18:00. Because only the other side changes clocks, Istanbul's gap with Western Europe shifts twice a year: London is two hours behind in summer and three in winter, and Berlin one or two hours behind. New York is seven hours behind during American daylight time and eight hours in winter, so 4:00 PM in Istanbul is 9:00 or 8:00 AM in New York. The time zone converter shows the exact gap for any date.
Nearby cities and their time
| Nearby cities | Distance | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Athens Greece | 560 km | same time |
| Tel Aviv Israel | 1,120 km | same time |
| Cairo Egypt | 1,240 km | same time |
| Rome Italy | 1,380 km | −1 h |
| Warsaw Poland | 1,390 km | −1 h |
| Berlin Germany | 1,740 km | −1 h |
Time zone converters for Istanbul
Frequently asked questions
- When did Türkiye stop changing its clocks?
- In autumn 2016. The government chose to stay on UTC+3, which had been its summer time, instead of returning to UTC+2 in October.
- Is Istanbul on the same time as Ankara?
- Yes. The whole country, from Edirne to the Iranian border, uses one zone, UTC+3, with no seasonal changes.
- How many hours ahead of Berlin is Istanbul?
- One hour while Central Europe is on summer time and two hours from late October to late March.
- Why are winter mornings so dark in Istanbul?
- Since 2016 Istanbul has kept UTC+3 in winter, about an hour ahead of solar time for its longitude. Sunrise in late December is around 8:20 AM.