In Turkey, the tax on the registration of foreign smartphones has been tripled, Gazeta.ru writes with reference to Tinkoff Journal. From July 8, the amount of tax will be 20 000 liras ($766).
All foreigners and citizens of Turkey entering the country with a smartphone purchased from abroad are required to register it within 120 days and pay tax, otherwise it will be blocked and will not be able to connect to the mobile Internet, receive and receive calls and SMS.
It is not the SIM card that is blocked, but the GSM or WCDMA- module, which is responsible for connecting to the mobile network.
When connected to the network of a mobile operator in Turkey, the IMEI (unique device code) immediately enters the information technology and communications management database of Turkey, which makes it possible to block the phone in case of non-payment of tax.