Time Zone History

Turkey time zone history

Daylight saving time was used in 39 years since 1970, last in 2016; under the current rules the clocks no longer change. On standard time, clocks at Istanbul run 1 hour 4 minutes ahead of local mean solar time, the second-largest gap of the 9 zones on UTC+3 standard time whose clocks run ahead of the sun. On September 7, 2016 the summer offset, UTC+3, became permanent standard time; the clocks did not move that day.

UTC+3

Standard time is UTC+3 all year under the current rules.

tz database name Europe/Istanbul

Convert a time from Turkey

Summer time in 39 of 57 years since 1970

UTC+1:55:52, UTC+1:56:56, UTC+2: behind today’s standard timeUTC+3: today’s standard timeUTC+4: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+1:55:52, UTC+1:56:56, UTC+2:behind today’s standard timeUTC+3: today’s standard timeUTC+4: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

187018901910193019501970187019101950
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
January 1, 1880Local mean time (UTC+1:55:52) replacedUTC+1:56:56IMT
October 1, 1910Standard time forward 3 minutesUTC+2EET
Since 1970
June 29, 1978Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+3numeric only
November 1, 1984Standard time back 1 hourUTC+2EET
September 7, 2016Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+3numeric only

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1916May 1October 11 hour, EET to EEST
1920March 28October 251 hour, EET to EEST
1921April 3October 31 hour, EET to EEST
1922March 26October 81 hour, EET to EEST
1924May 13October 11 hour, EET to EEST
1925May 1October 11 hour, EET to EEST
1940July 1, December 1October 61 hour, EET to EEST
1941not that yearSeptember 211 hour, EET to EEST
1942April 1not that year1 hour, EET to EEST
1945not that yearOctober 81 hour
1946June 1October 11 hour, EET to EEST
1947–1948third Sunday in April, 00:00first Sunday in October, 00:001 hour, EET to EEST
1949April 10October 21 hour, EET to EEST
1950April 16October 81 hour, EET to EEST
1951April 22October 71 hour, EET to EEST
1962July 15not that year1 hour, EET to EEST
1963not that yearOctober 301 hour, EET to EEST
1964May 15October 11 hour, EET to EEST
Since 1970
1973June 3November 41 hour, EET to EEST
1974March 31November 31 hour, EET to EEST
1975March 22November 21 hour, EET to EEST
1976March 21October 311 hour, EET to EEST
1977April 3October 161 hour, EET to EEST
1978April 2not that year1 hour, EET to EEST
1983July 31October 21 hour
1985April 20September 281 hour, EET to EEST
1986–1993last Sunday in March, 01:00last Sunday in September, 02:001 hour, EET to EEST
1994March 20September 251 hour, EET to EEST
1995March 26September 241 hour, EET to EEST
1996–2010last Sunday in March, 01:00last Sunday in October, 02:001 hour, EET to EEST
2011March 28October 301 hour, EET to EEST
2012–2013last Sunday in March, 03:00last Sunday in October, 04:001 hour, EET to EEST
2014March 31October 261 hour, EET to EEST
2015March 29November 81 hour, EET to EEST
2016March 27not that year1 hour, EET to EEST

Also on UTC+3

Simferopol (Ukraine), Syria, Jordan, Belarus, Volgograd (Russia), Iraq, Moscow (Russia), Kirov (Russia), Saudi Arabia and Qatar (nearest first; 1 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Romania (446 km): same time except 4,067 days in 1973–2006, 2011 and 2014–2026; 1 hour behind today.
  • Bulgaria (503 km): same time except 4,023 days in 1973–2006, 2011 and 2014–2026; 1 hour behind today.
  • Greece (564 km): same time except 3,296 days in 1973–2006, 2011 and 2014–2026; 1 hour behind today.
  • Simferopol (Ukraine) (604 km): same time except 6,488 days in 1970–1978, 1981–2006, 2011 and 2014–2016.
  • Moldova (665 km): same time except 6,285 days in 1970–1978 and 1981–2026; 1 hour behind today.

How it compares

Clocks were first moved for daylight saving in 1916, the earliest start of the 9 zones on UTC+3 standard time that ever used daylight saving time.

Clocks have been changed 79 times since 1970, the third-most of the 12 zones on UTC+3 standard time.