Send Flowers to Turkey from the USA: Time Zones & Tips

Maybe it's your parents in Ankara, a college friend who moved back to Istanbul, your partner's family in Antalya or a grandmother in a village you've visited once as a kid. Sending flowers to Turkey from the USA is easy once you know three things: the time difference is bigger than most people expect, your card is charged in Turkish lira, and Turkish dates and addresses are written differently from American ones. This guide covers all three, plus the occasions and Turkish phrases that make a bouquet feel personal. For the general process, see how to send flowers to Turkey from abroad.

How it works

Nothing is shipped from the US. You order online, a local florist close to your recipient hand-ties the bouquet and delivers it in person, and you receive a photo of the delivery by email and WhatsApp. There are no customs, no international shipping and no days in transit. We deliver to all 81 provinces of Türkiye, from Istanbul to small villages, down to neighborhood (mahalle) level.

The cut-off: order the evening before

Orders placed before 2:00 p.m. Türkiye time are delivered the same day. Türkiye stays on UTC+3 all year with no daylight saving time, so the gap to the US changes when American clocks change in March and November. Here is what 2:00 p.m. in Türkiye means for you:

• Eastern (New York, Miami): 6:00 a.m. in standard time (Nov–Mar), 7:00 a.m. in daylight time (Mar–Nov)
• Central (Chicago, Houston): 5:00 a.m. standard, 6:00 a.m. daylight
• Mountain (Denver): 4:00 a.m. standard, 5:00 a.m. daylight; Arizona, which doesn't observe daylight saving time, is 4:00 a.m. all year
• Pacific (Los Angeles, Seattle): 3:00 a.m. standard, 4:00 a.m. daylight

In practice, the easiest way to get same-day delivery from the US is to order the evening before. When it's 8:00 p.m. in New York, it's already 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. the next day in Türkiye, so your order is in well before the cut-off for that Turkish date. Always pick the delivery date in Türkiye's calendar, not yours.

Optional time slots are set in Türkiye time: morning 9 a.m.–1 p.m., afternoon 1–6 p.m. and evening 6–9 p.m. (the evening slot carries a surcharge shown before payment). Even the evening slot ends at 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. Eastern, so don't wait for your own afternoon.

There are no deliveries on Sundays or Turkish public holidays. Turkish holidays, such as 23 April, 29 October and the Bayram days, are different from US federal holidays. Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving are normal delivery days in Türkiye, as long as they aren't a Sunday.

Paying with a US card

Prices can be displayed in US dollars, converted at the Central Bank of Türkiye rate, but your card is charged in Turkish lira (TRY). A few things to know:

• Your statement shows a converted amount. Your card network or bank converts the TRY charge to dollars at its own rate, so the final figure may differ slightly from what you saw on screen.
• Foreign transaction fees are common. Many US credit and debit cards add a percentage to purchases processed outside the US. Plenty of travel cards charge none; it's worth checking yours.
• Your bank may double-check. A payment to a merchant in Türkiye can trigger a fraud alert. If your bank texts you or shows a prompt in its app, approve it and try again.
• 3-D Secure. The payment is verified with 3-D Secure, which US cardholders see less often than Europeans. It usually means a one-time code by text or an approval in your banking app.

Visa and Mastercard cards issued in the US normally work without problems. For a breakdown of every part of the price, read how much it costs to send flowers to Turkey.

Dates and phone numbers: the Turkish format

This is where American senders most often trip up. In Türkiye, dates are written day first: 05.06.2027 means 5 June, not May 6. When you mention a date in your card message or delivery notes, write the month as a word ("June 5") to avoid any confusion.

Turkish mobile numbers look like +90 5XX XXX XX XX. Add the recipient's number with the +90 country code; the courier will call it if they can't find the door.

Occasions

• Mother's Day: good news, it's the same day in the US and in Türkiye, the second Sunday of May. As we don't deliver on Sundays, the flowers arrive on the Saturday before. Order early: it's one of the busiest days of the year.
• Valentine's Day: in 2027, 14 February is a Sunday, so choose Saturday the 13th or Monday the 15th.
• Birthdays and anniversaries: colorful mixed bouquets and roses are always a safe choice.
• New baby, engagement, graduation: a bright bouquet to the family's home is a lovely way to join in from afar.
• Get well: hospitals are a common destination; include the ward and room number.
• Condolences: Turkish funerals usually take place within a day. Read condolence flowers in Turkey first.
• Bayram and Teachers' Day: for Turkish-American families, a bouquet before Ramazan Bayramı or Kurban Bayramı is a thoughtful gesture, and Teachers' Day on 24 November is a much-loved tradition.

Some colors and numbers carry different meanings in Türkiye; see our guide to Turkish flower etiquette.

Where your flowers can go

Most orders from the US go to Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya, but family roots often lead to smaller towns and villages across Anatolia and the Black Sea coast. We deliver everywhere in Türkiye, from Istanbul to small villages. Search by province, district or neighborhood on our delivery areas page; you can type without Turkish characters, so "Kadikoy" finds Kadıköy.

Writing a Turkish address

A Turkish address runs from the largest unit to the smallest:

1. İl (province), like a state, e.g. Ankara
2. İlçe (district), like a county, e.g. Çankaya. The delivery fee is set per district and shown in the cart before you pay.
3. Mahalle (neighborhood) or köy (village)
4. Cadde (avenue) or sokak (street), building number, daire (apartment number)

Many Turkish families live in apartment complexes called site; add the complex name and block. In a village without house numbers, give the recipient's phone number and a landmark, such as "next to the mosque". Ordering a day early for remote villages gives the florist comfortable time for the drive.

Card message: a little Turkish goes a long way

Your card can hold up to 300 characters. Write in English, and if your recipient doesn't read it, we can add a hand-written Turkish translation free of charge. Phrases you can use yourself:

• "İyi ki doğdun!" – Happy birthday!
• "Anneler Günün kutlu olsun, anneciğim." – Happy Mother's Day, Mom.
• "Geçmiş olsun." – Get well soon.
• "Gözünüz aydın!" – Congratulations (on a new baby or happy news).
• "Seni çok özledim." – I miss you so much.

Quick checklist

1. Delivery date chosen in Türkiye's calendar, not a Sunday or Turkish public holiday
2. For same-day delivery, ordered the evening before (US time)
3. Address with province, district and neighborhood
4. Recipient's phone number with +90
5. Card ready for 3-D Secure and a charge in TRY

If the bouquet arrives damaged or wilted, report it with a photo within 24 hours and we'll resend or refund. Questions? Message us on WhatsApp or write to info@flowerturkiye.com. To see today's prices in dollars, browse the bouquets.